Methods and formulations for enhancing the absorption and gastro-intestinal bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs

1. A solid, anhydrous drug delivery composition for normally difficulty soluble hydrophobic drug actives, which when added to water create suspended drug active containing liposomes having a mean particle size of at least 1.0 micron, comprising:

lecithin;

a sterol, a stanol, a sterol ester, or a stanol ester;

a drug active effective amount of a hydrophobic drug active with the weight ratio of lecithin to the sterol, stanol, sterol ester, stanol ester and hydrophobic drug active combination being 1.0;

said delivery composition enhancing the uptake of the hydrophobic drug active through small intestinal membranes.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the sterol, stanol, sterol ester, or stanol ester is selected from the group consisting of cholesterol, derivatives of cholesterol, a plant sterol, a plant stanol, a plant sterol ester, a plant stanol ester, and combinations thereof.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the hydrophobic drug is selected from the group consisting of: anesthetics, anti-asthma agents, antibiotics, antidepressants, anti-diabetics, anti-epileptics, anti-fungals, anti-gout agents, anti-neoplastics, anti-obesity agents, anti-protozoals, anti-pyretics, anti-virals, anti-psychotics, calcium regulating agents, cardiovascular agents, corticosteroids, diuretics, dopaminergic agents, gastrointestinal agents, hormones, immunosuppressants, lipid regulating agents, phytoestrogens, prostaglandins, relaxants, stimulants, vitamins, nutritional agents, and xanthines.

4. The drug delivery composition of claim 2 , wherein the plant sterol, sterol ester, stanol, or stanol ester is derived from a vegetable oil source.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the drug delivery composition further comprises Vitamin E as an additional hydrophobic compound.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lecithin is soy lecithin or egg lecithin.

7. A solid, anhydrous drug delivery composition for cyclosporin, which when added to water creates suspended cyclosporin containing liposomes having a mean particle size of at least 1.0 micron, comprising:

lecithin;

a sterol, a stanol, a sterol ester, or a stanol ester;

a drug active effective amount of cyclosporin with the weight ratio of lecithin to the sterol, sterol ester, stenol, or stenol ester, in combination with cyclosporin combination being 1.0.

8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the sterol, stanol, sterol ester, or stanol ester is selected from the group consisting of cholesterol, derivatives of cholesterol, a plant sterol, a plant stanol, a plant sterol ester, a plant stanol ester, and combinations thereof.

9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the plant sterol, stanol, sterol ester, or stanol ester is derived from a vegetable oil source.

10. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the lecithin is soy lecithin or egg lecithin.

11. A method of preparing the solid, anhydrous drug delivery composition of claim 1 for normally difficulty soluble hydrophobic drug actives, comprising:

mixing said lecithin, said sterol, stanol, sterol ester, or stanol ester, and said hydrophobic drug active, with a non-polar organic solvent, with the weight ratio of said lecithin to the sterol, stanol, sterol ester, or stanol ester, and hydrophobic drug active combination being 1.0;

removing the solvent to leave a solid residue of the mixed components;

adding water to the solid residue of the mixed components at a temperature less than the decomposition temperature of any one of the mixed components;

homogenizing the aqueous mixture to create liposomes having a mean particle size of at least 1.0 micron;

drying the homogenized mixture; and

providing the dried solid residue of the mixed components in a solid pharmaceutical carrier format.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-polar organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethyl acetate and heptane.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-polar organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of heptane, chloroform, dichloromethane, isopropanol and supercritical carbon dioxide.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-polar organic solvent is removed from the mix by elevating the temperature at or above the solvent's boiling point.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the solvent removal continues until a solid residue that contains less than 0.5% solvent is provided.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the solid formed after solvent removal is pulverized to produce a dispersible powder.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the dried solid residue of the mixed components is dispersed in liquid water with vigorous stirring at a temperature less than the decomposition temperature of any of the mixed components.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the aqueous mixture is homogenized in a homogenizer selected from the group consisting of a Gaulin homogenizer, a French press, a sonicator, and a microfluidizer.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the homogenized aqueous mixture is dried in a drier selected from the group consisting of spray driers and lyophilizers.

20. A method of preparing the solid, anhydrous drug delivery composition of claim 7 for cyclosporin, comprising:

mixing said lecithin, said sterol, stanol, sterol ester, or stanol ester, and said cyclosporine with a non-polar organic solvent, with the weight ratio of lecithin to the sterol, stanol, sterol ester, or stanol ester and cyclosporin combination being 1.0;

removing the solvent to leave a solid residue of the mixed components;

adding water to the solid residue of the mixed components at a temperature less than the decomposition temperature of any one of the mixed components;

homogenizing the aqueous mixture to create liposomes having a mean particle size of at least 1.0 micron;

drying the homogenized mixture; and

providing the dried solid residue of the mixed components in a solid pharmaceutical carrier format.