IP Library Granted Patent US 11,975,100
Granted Patent B2
US 11,975,100 · App. 17/489,296 · Granted May 7, 2024

Process for preparing pharmaceutical compositions

Inventors: Luke R. Schenck (Yardley, PA); David J. Lamberto (Jackson, NJ); Joseph L. Kukura, II (Clark, NJ); Francisco J. Guzman (Jersey City, NJ); Aaron Cote (West Windsor, NJ); Athanas Koynov (Highland Park, NJ)
Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
A61K9/145A61K9/146A61K9/5123A61K9/5138A61K9/5146A61K9/5161
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,975,100
App. No.
17/489,296
Granted
May 7, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A process for preparing and isolating pharmaceutical active ingredient particles having a particle size of between about 0.1 and 30 microns, wherein a slurry comprising the active ingredient and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients is fed into a thin film evaporator under suitable conditions for less than 10 minutes sufficient to generate solid matrix particles comprising active ingredient and one or more excipients, wherein the particles have less than 5% residual solvent.

Claims (18)

1. A process for preparing and isolating pharmaceutical active ingredient particles having a particle size of between about 0.1 and 30 microns, wherein a dried solids-containing slurry comprising: (a) a pharmaceutical active ingredient, and one or more of: (b) a steric stability polymer, (c) an electrostatic stability surfactant, and (d) a redispersibility excipient, is fed into a thin film evaporator comprising shear rates exceeding 4,000 s −1 , temperature between about 50° C. and 100° C., vacuum from 10 mbar to 75 mbar pressure, and Reynolds Numbers above 200,000, to provide turbulent mixing for less than 10 minutes and sufficient to generate solid matrix particles comprising the pharmaceutical active ingredient and the one or more excipients, wherein the particles have less than 5% residual solvent.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dried solids containing slurry is fed into the thin film evaporator under shear, temperature and pressure conditions to provide turbulent mixing for less than 5 minutes.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the particles have a particle size of between 0.1 and 5 microns.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the particles are crystalline.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the particles are amorphous.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the steric stability polymer is a cellulosic polymer, a methacrylate, a vinyl polymer, a copolymer, or polyethylene glycol.

7. The process of claim 5 wherein the steric stability polymer is ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxyl propyl cellulose, hydroxylpropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose acetate succinate, hydroxylpropyl methyl cellulose phthalate), poly(butyl methacrylate-co-(2-dimethylaminoethyl), poly(methacylic acid-co-ethyl acrylate), poly(methacylic acid-co-methyl acrylate), 1-ethenylpyrrolidin-2-one, copovidone, soluplus, polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyoxyethylene (POE), or poly(acrylic acid).

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the electrostatic stability surfactant is Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate, poloxamer, octadecanoic acid [2-[(2R,3S,4R)-3,4-dihydroxy-2-tetrahydrofuranyl]-2-hydroxyethyl] ester, sodium 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexoxy)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-sulfonate, D-α-Tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate, sodium lauryl sulfate, or lecithin.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the redispersibility excipient is a salt, sugar, sugar alcohol, or polysaccharide.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the redispersibility excipient is a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, an amino acid or a sugar alcohol.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the sugar alcohol is selected from mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol, and glycerol.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the sugar alcohol is mannitol.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of active ingredient in the dried-solids containing slurry is between about 20-80 wt/wt %.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the amount of active ingredient in the dried-solids containing slurry is between about 35-65 wt/wt %.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein:

the steric stability polymer is selected from one or more of hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, poly(butyl methacrylate-co-(2-dimethylaminoethyl), and polyethylene glycol;

the electrostatic stability surfactant is selected from one or more of sodium lauryl sulfate, Polysorbate 80, and sorbitan monostearate; and

the redispersibility excipient is selected from one or more of lactose, mannitol, sucrose, and trehalose.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Aug 8, 2022
From: MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORP.
To: MERCK SHARP & DOHME LLC
Reel/Frame 061102/0145 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2021
From: SCHENCK, LUKE R.; LAMBERTO, DAVID J.; KUKURA, JOSEPH L., II; GUZMAN, FRANCISCO J.; COTE, AARON; KOYNOV, ATHANAS
To: MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORP.
Reel/Frame 057644/0579 →