Pharmaceutical formulation

1. A process for making a pharmaceutical dosage form comprising the steps of:

a) introducing Aminoalkyl Methacrylate Copolymer E present in an amount of about 50 to 90% w/w and an excipient composition comprising at least one dissolution-modifying excipient which is polyethylene oxide present in an amount of about 5 to about 30% w/w; and optionally a second dissolution modifying excipient selected from the group consisting of

i) a swellable solid present in an amount from about 5% to about 60% w/w;

ii) a disintegrant present in an amount of about 5 to 50% w/w;

iii) a non-reducing sugar present in an amount of about 2.5 to 15% w/w;

iv) a water soluble filler present in the amount of about 5 to 20% w/w;

v) a wicking agent present in the amount of about 2.5% to about 70% w/w;

vi) an inorganic salt present in an amount of 5 to 10% w/w; or a combination or mixture thereof;

and a lubricant present in an amount from 10 to about 25% w/w and optionally a plasticizer from about 0 to 5% w/w and/or a processing agent from about 0 to about 10% w/w; and/or a surfactant present in an amount of about 0.25 to 5% w/w;

simultaneously into a first location of an elongated hot melt extruder, the first location having a temperature of about 50° C.;

b) mixing said Aminoalkyl Methacrylate Copolymer E and said excipient composition in the hot melt extruder at a temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 125° C. to form a homogeneous composition therein and substantially without thermal degradation of the Aminoalkyl Methacrylate Copolymer E and the excipient composition;

(c) extruding the homogeneous composition in the form of a strand from the hot melt extruder though a die at a second location distal from said first location, said second location having a temperature not greater than about 125° C.;

c) cutting the strand into pellets; and

d) introducing said pellets into an injection molder and forming a thin-walled capsule shell compartments from said pellets by injection molding, and wherein the shell between and including the inner and outer surfaces of said shell is composed of the extruded and injection molded capsule shell composition.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the second dissolution modifying excipient is ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate phthalate, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), lactose, Starch 1500, copovidone, or crospovidone (cross-linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone); or combinations or mixtures thereof.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the lubricant is stearyl alcohol, glycerol monostearate (GMS), talc, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, amorphous silicic acid, or fumed silica; or combinations or mixtures thereof.

4. The process according to claim 1 , in which the hot melt extruder is maintained at a temperature not exceeding approximately 120° C.

5. The process according to claim 1 , in which the hot melt extruder is maintained at a temperature not lower than the Aminoalkyl Methacrylate Copolymer E and said excipient composition melting points.

6. The process according to claim 1 , in which the temperature in the hot melt extruder gradually increases along the length of the hot melt extruder, from said first location at which the Aminoalkyl Methacrylate Copolymer E and an excipient composition are introduced, to the die, the maximum temperature not exceeding approximately 125° C.

7. The process according to claim 1 , in which the hot melt extruder comprises an elongated barrel having first and second opposite ends, and twin screws within the barrel for propelling Aminoalkyl Methacrylate Copolymer E and said excipient composition along the length of the interior of the barrel, said first location at which the Aminoalkyl Methacrylate Copolymer E and said excipient composition are introduced being located adjacent the first end of the barrel, and said die being located adjacent the second end of the barrel.

8. The process according to claim 1 , in which the injection molding of the thin-walled capsule compartments is carried out using an injection molder having a barrel and a nozzle, while maintaining the injection molder barrel at a temperature in the range of about 110° C. to 130° C.

9. The process according to claim 1 , in which the injection molding of the thin-walled capsule compartments is carried out using an injection molder having a barrel and a nozzle, while maintaining the injection molder nozzle at a temperature in the range of about 130° C. to 150° C.

10. The process according to claim 1 , in which the injection molding of the thin-walled capsule compartments is carried out using an injection molder having a barrel and a nozzle, while maintaining the injection molder nozzle at a temperature of about 140° C.

11. The process according to claim 1 , in which the injection molding of the thin-walled capsule compartments is carried out using an injection molder having a barrel and a nozzle, while maintaining the injection molder barrel at a temperature in the range of about 110° C. to 130° C. and maintaining the injection molder nozzle at a temperature in the range of about 130° C. to 150° C.

12. The process according to claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical dosage forms are assembled using said capsule compartments as components of said dosage forms.

13. The process according to claim 12 wherein the said capsule compartments of the assembled dosage form are connected together by at least one weld where adjacent parts of said components are in contact.

14. The process according to claim 13 wherein the weld is produced by a thermal weld, an ultrasonic weld, an inductive weld, or an adhesive weld.

15. The process according to claim 3 wherein the lubricant is stearyl alcohol.

16. The process according to claim 15 wherein the lubricant is present in an amount of about 10 to 12% w/w.

17. The process according to claim 1 wherein the dissolution modifying excipient is a combination of polyethylene oxide, and at least one of lactose, HPMC, hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), or copovidone.

18. The process according to claim 17 wherein the polyethylene oxide is present in an amount of about 5 to 30% w/w, and the copovidone is present in an amount of 5 to 35% w/w.

19. The process according to claim 1 wherein the plasticizer is triethyl citrate (TEC), tributyl citrate, acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC), acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), dibutyl phthalate, dibutyl sebacate (DBS), diethyl phthalate, vinyl pyrrolidone glycol triacetate, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, propylene glycol, or castor oil; or a combination or mixture thereof.

20. The process according to claim 1 wherein the processing agent is talc present in an amount of 5 to 10% w/w.

21. The process according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is a block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, lecithin, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, sodium lauryl sulfate, hydrogenated castor oil, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, the sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyethylene glycol, glyceryl monostearate, d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, sucrose fatty acid esters; and combinations and mixtures thereof.

22. The process according to claim 21 wherein the surfactant is a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide.