Isolated composite drug and carrier nanoparticles
A process for the preparation of a composite comprising a carrier particle and a plurality of drug nanoparticles. The process comprises providing a suspension of drug nanoparticles in the presence of a carrier particle, the carrier particle having an external surface that is functionalised with a surface treatment agent. The process simplifies isolation of drug nanoparticles from suspension.
1. An isolated composite comprising a carrier particle and a plurality of drug nanoparticles, wherein the carrier particle has an external surface that is functionalised with a surface treatment agent and the plurality of drug nanoparticles is adsorbed onto the functionalised external surface.
2. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the carrier particle has a D 50 particle size of from 1 to 500 μm.
3. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the carrier particle is an inorganic carrier particle.
4. The composite of claim 3 , wherein the carrier particle is a clay carrier particle.
5. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the carrier particle is an organic carrier particle.
6. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment agent is a polymer.
7. The composite of claim 1 , comprising from 1 to 300 mg surface treatment agent per gram carrier particle.
8. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the drug nanoparticles have a D 50 value of less than 0.95 μm.
9. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the drug nanoparticles have a negative zeta potential at neutral pH.
10. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the carrier particle that is functionalised with the surface treatment agent has a negative zeta potential.
11. A process for the preparation of an isolated composite comprising a carrier particle and a plurality of drug nanoparticles, the process comprising
providing a suspension of drug nanoparticles in the presence of a carrier particle, the carrier particle having an external surface that is functionalised with a surface treatment agent and the plurality of drug nanoparticles being adsorbed onto the functionalised external surface.
12. The process of claim 11 , wherein providing the suspension of drug nanoparticles comprises precipitating the drug nanoparticles from solution.
13. The process of claim 11 , wherein providing the suspension of drug nanoparticles comprises comminuting a drug to prepare drug nanoparticles.
14. The process of claim 11 , additionally comprising an initial step of functionalising the surface of the carrier particle with a surface treatment agent.
15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the carrier particle has a zeta potential and functionalising the surface of the carrier particle with the surface treatment agent comprises a reduction in the magnitude of the zeta potential.
16. The process of claim 11 , additionally comprising isolating the composite from suspension.
17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the composite is isolated by filtration.
18. The process of claim 16 , additionally comprising drying the isolated composite.
19. The process of claim 16 , additionally comprising formulating the isolated composite into a solid dosage form.