European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 2015-06-01

Intra-articular bioactivity of a p38 MAPK inhibitor and development of an extended-release system.

Julie Pradal, Maria-Fernanda Zuluaga, Pierre Maudens, Jean-Marc Waldburger, Christian Alexander Seemayer, Eric Doelker, Cem Gabay, Olivier Jordan, Eric Allémann

Index: Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm. 93 , 110-7, (2015)

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Abstract

In the treatment of arthritic diseases, oral or systemic administration of anti-inflammatory substances, such as p38 MAPK inhibitors, is hampered by numerous side effects. To overcome them, formulations of rapid and extended drug delivery systems were studied in intra-articular administration. For the first time, VX-745, a highly selective p38 MAPK inhibitor, demonstrated in vivo bioactivity, similar to dexamethasone activity, following intra-articular administration in an antigen-induced arthritic (AIA) mouse model. The in vitro bioactivity of VX-745 was also shown on synoviocytes, reducing the IL-6 concentration. Process and formulation parameters (i.e., polymer concentration, aqueous/organic phase ratio, emulsification speed and process, and evaporation pressure) and particle characterisation (i.e., drug loading, size of particle, and surface aspect) were extensively examined to produce optimised formulations. Indeed, a burst release provides a rapid saturation of intracellular p38 MAPK to relieve patients from pain and inflammation. Then, drug diffusion would be sufficient to maintain an effective dose over 2-3 months. This study confirms the effectiveness of encapsulated p38 MAPK inhibitors in extended drug delivery systems and seems to be a promising strategy for intra-articular treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.