Principles of depot injections Flashcards
Advantages of long acting injections (7)
- Predictable drug-release profile during a defined period of time following each injection
- Better patient compliance
- Ease of application
- Improving systemic availability by avoidance of first-pass metabolism
- Reduced dosing frequency
- Decreasing incidence of side effects
- Cost reduction of medical care
Two types of routes for long acting injections
Subcutaneous (SC) and Intramuscular (IM)
Subcutaneous injections
Greater surface area for target Injection sites, use of shorter needles, ease of self-administration, less discomfort, better safety profile
– primary route for delivery of protein-based drugs
– the volume of SC injection are usually limited to no more than 1-2 mL
Intramuscular injections
Greater injection volume (2-5 mL) in the large skeletal muscles (these muscles are less richly supplied with sensory nerves)
3 types of long acting injections
Oil based solutions (Control the release of active drug for weeks)
Drug suspensions (weeks)
Polymer-based
Polymer-based acting time
Particulate: microsphere (months)
In situ-based gelling systems (months)
What may long acting injectables used for?
Steroid esters (contraception’s and hormone replacement therapy). antipsychotics
Formulations considerations for long acting injections (3)
drug solubility in oil vehicles
drug partitioning between oil and aqueous interface
vehicle viscosity `
What oil is usually used for long-acting injections?
Vegetable oils
Why are vegetable oils usually used in long-acting injections?
Contains various triglycerides in different proportion, which influences vehicle density and viscosity.
What in vegetable oil, cause a risk of oxidation?
They contain triglycerides, which contain fatty acids
Castor oil had high content of fatty acids with hydroxyl group (due to ricinolein acid)
Alternative oil used for long-acting injections
Synthetic fatty acid esters such as isopropyl myristate and ethyl oleate as alternative vehicles
What other biocompatible cosolvents may be used in formulations? (3)
aliphatic alcohols
benzyl benzoate
ethyl acetate
What is the partition coefficient (P) of a drug substance?
Ratio of drug activities (at equilibrium) in two immiscible solvents comprising the portioning system.
How to enhance drug affinity for the oil phase
Need to manipulate partition coefficients by transiently masking the drug in the form of a lipophilic prodrug.
How does a prodrug work (haloperidol e.g.)?
- Long lipophilic carbon chain attached to drug via an ester bond.
- The caron chain will be in oily phase
- The other part will be in aqueous phase
- Hydrolysis of the ester bond will release the drug in active form.
What is the rate-limiting step of drug absorption in drug suspension?
The dissolution of drug particles in the formulation or in tissue fluid surrounding the drug formulation.
What type of formulation can be used to control dissolution rate of drug particles, to prolong the absorption?
- Poorly water-soluble salt formulations
- Larger particle sizes