Aqueous oral pharmaceutical suspension compositions

1. An aqueous oral pharmaceutical suspension composition comprising:

vamorolone Form I;

at least one suspending agent; and

at least one suspension vehicle.

2. The suspension of claim 1 , comprising vamorolone Form I in an amount of between about 2% and about 10% w/w.

3. The suspension of claim 2 , comprising vamorolone Form I in an amount of about 4% w/w.

4. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the suspending agent is chosen from acacia, agar, alginic acid or a salt thereof, bentonite, carbomers, carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof, carrageenan, corn starch, ethylcellulose, gelatin, guar gum, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxyethylmethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, pectin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, colloidal silicon dioxide, tragacanth, xanthan gum, and mixtures thereof.

5. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein the suspending agent is chosen from carboxymethylcellulose or a salt thereof, microcrystalline cellulose, xanthan gum, and mixtures thereof.

6. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein the suspending agent comprises a mixture of microcrystalline cellulose, xanthan gum, and carboxymethylcellulose, or a salt thereof.

7. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein the suspending agent comprises a mixture of microcrystalline cellulose, xanthan gum, and sodium carboxymethylcellulose.

8. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suspending agent is present in an amount of between about 0.5% to about 5% w/w.

9. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the suspension vehicle is chosen from xylitol, propylene glycol, glycerin, sorbitol, liquid glucose, dextrose, and mixtures thereof.

10. The suspension of claim 9 , wherein the suspension vehicle is propylene glycol, dextrose, or a mixture thereof.

11. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the suspension vehicle is present in an amount of from about 3% to about 10% w/w.

12. The suspension of claim 11 , wherein the suspension vehicle comprises glycerin, the suspension agent comprises xanthan gum, and vamorolone Form I in an amount of about 4% w/w.

13. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein vamorolone Form I is further characterized by an X-ray powder diffraction pattern comprising peaks, in terms of ° 2θ, at about 11.9, about 13.7, about 16.1, and about 18.3 with radiation Cu Kα.

14. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein vamorolone Form I is further characterized by an X-ray powder diffraction pattern substantially as shown in FIG. 1 .

15. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein vamorolone Form I is further characterized by an exothermic event onset at 180.7° C. and a melting event with an onset and peak temperatures of 231.0° C. and 234.7° C., respectively, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry.

16. The suspension of claim 15 , wherein vamorolone Form I is further characterized by a differential scanning calorimetry trace substantially as shown in FIG. 3 .

17. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein vamorolone Form I is further characterized by a thermogravimetric analysis profile showing less than about 0.5% weight loss below about 175° C.

18. The suspension of claim 17 , wherein vamorolone Form I is further characterized by a thermogravimetric analysis profile substantially as shown in FIG. 2 .

19. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the vamorolone Form I has a chemical purity of at least about 95%, at least about 96%, at least about 97%, at least about 98%, at least about 99%, or at least about 99.5% by high performance liquid chromatography.

20. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has total chemical impurities of not more than about 0.6% by high performance liquid chromatography.

21. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has not more than about 0.5% by high performance liquid chromatography of an epoxide having the formula:

22. A crystalline form of vamorolone characterized by one or more of the following:

(a) an X-ray powder diffraction pattern comprising two or more peaks, in terms of ° 2θ, at about 11.9, about 13.7, about 16.1, and about 18.3 with radiation Cu Kα;

(b) an X-ray powder diffraction pattern substantially as shown in FIG. 1 ;

(c) a thermogravimetric analysis profile showing less than about 0.5% weight loss below about 175° C.;

(d) a thermogravimetric analysis profile substantially as shown in FIG. 2 ;

(e) an exothermic event onset at 180.7° C. and a melting event with an onset and peak temperatures of 231.0° C. and 234.7° C., respectively, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry; and

(f) a differential scanning calorimetry trace substantially as shown in FIG. 3 , wherein the crystalline form has a chemical purity of at least about 95% by high throughput liquid chromatography.

23. The crystalline form of claim 22 , having a chemical purity of at least about 96%, at least about 97%, at least about 98%, at least about 99%, or at least about 99.5% by high performance liquid chromatography.

24. A crystalline form of vamorolone characterized by one or more of the following:

(g) an X-ray powder diffraction pattern comprising two or more peaks, in terms of ° 2θ, at about 11.9, about 13.7, about 16.1, and about 18.3 with radiation Cu Kα;

(h) an X-ray powder diffraction pattern substantially as shown in FIG. 1 ;

(i) a thermogravimetric analysis profile showing less than about 0.5% weight loss below about 175° C.;

(j) a thermogravimetric analysis profile substantially as shown in FIG. 2 ;

(k) an exothermic event onset at 180.7° C. and a melting event with an onset and peak temperatures of 231.0° C. and 234.7° C., respectively, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry; and

(l) a differential scanning calorimetry trace substantially as shown in FIG. 3 , wherein the crystalline form has a particle size such that d90 is less than about 50 μm.

25. An oral pharmaceutical composition comprising the crystalline form of vamorolone of claim 24 .

26. An oral pharmaceutical composition comprising the crystalline form of vamorolone of claim 22 .