Orodispersible dosage unit containing an estetrol component

1. A solid pharmaceutical dosage unit having a weight between 30 and 1,000 mg, the dosage unit comprising:

(a) 0.1-25 wt. % of estetrol particles containing at least 90 wt. % of estetrol monohydrate, wherein the estetrol particles have a volume median diameter of from 5 μm to 15 μm; and

(b) 75-99.9 wt. % of one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients;

wherein the solid dosage unit contains from 10 mg to 20 mg of the estetrol monohydrate and releases at least 70% of the estetrol monohydrate within 5 minutes when subject to dissolution testing by placing one unit in 900 mL of an aqueous dissolution medium comprising KH 2 PO 4 and NaOH at pH 6.8 and a temperature of 37±0.5° C., in a vessel of a paddle apparatus at a stirring speed of 50 rpm.

2. The dosage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the dosage unit has a weight between 40 and 500 mg.

3. The dosage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the dosage unit contains 0.5-25 wt. % of the estetrol monohydrate.

4. The dosage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the dosage unit contains 50-99.5 wt. % of filler selected from maltose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, glucose, galactose, trehalose, xylitol, sorbitol, erythritol, maltitol, mannitol, isomalt, microcrystalline cellulose, calcium salts and combinations thereof.

5. The dosage unit according to claim 4 , wherein the filler is selected from lactose, xylitol, sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose and combinations thereof.

6. The dosage unit according to claim 4 , wherein the dosage unit contains at least 20 wt. % of sugar alcohol selected from mannitol, xylitol and combinations thereof.

7. The dosage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the dosage unit contains 0.1-20 wt. % of a disintegrating agent selected from modified starches, crosslinked polyvinyl pyrrolidone, crosslinked carmellose and combinations thereof.

8. The dosage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the dosage unit contains 0-60 wt. % of microcrystalline cellulose.

9. The dosage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the dosage unit contains 0.1-2 wt. % of lubricant selected from sodium stearyl fumarate, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, polyethylene glycol, calcium stearate and mixtures thereof.

10. A method for female hormone replacement therapy, comprising sublingually, buccally or sublabially administering to a subject in need thereof the dosage unit according to claim 1 .

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the administration is once daily for a period of at least 1 week.

12. A method of female contraception, comprising sublingually, buccally or sublabially administering to a subject in need thereof a dosage unit according to claim 1 .

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the administration is once daily for a period of at least 1 week.

14. A process of preparing an orodispersible solid pharmaceutical dosage unit having a weight between 30 and 1,000 mg, the dosage unit comprising:

(a) 0.1-25 wt. % of estetrol particles containing at least 90 wt. % of estetrol monohydrate; and

(b) 75-99.9 wt. % of one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients;

wherein the solid dosage unit contains from 10 mg to 20 mg of the estetrol monohydrate, the process comprising:

(i) providing estetrol particles having a volume median diameter between 2 μm to 50 μm and containing at least 90 wt. % of estetrol monohydrate;

(ii) mixing 1 part by weight of the estetrol particles with 2-1,000 parts by weight of one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients to obtain a dry blend; and

(iii) compressing the dry blend into a solid dosage unit.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the process does not comprise addition of liquid solvent during or after the combining of the estetrol particles and the one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.

16. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the solid dosage unit is formed by direct compression.