Poly(vinylpyridine- co-vinylpyridine N-oxide) Excipients Mediate Rapid Dissolution and Sustained Supersaturation of Posaconazole Amorphous Solid Dispersions

The chemical structure of excipients molecularly mixed in an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) has a significant impact on properties of the ASD including dissolution behavior, physical stability, and bioavailability. Polymers used in ASDs require a balance between hydrophobic and hydrophilic functionalities to ensure rapid dissolution of the amorphous dispersion as well as sustained supersaturation of the drug in solution. This work demonstrates the use of postpolymerization functionalization of poly(vinylpyridine) excipients to elucidate the impact of polymer properties on the dissolution behavior of amorphous dispersions containing posaconazole. It was found that N-oxidation of pyridine functionalities increased the solubility of poly(vinylpyridine) derivatives in neutral aqueous conditions and allowed for nanoparticle formation which supplied posaconazole into solution at concentrations exceeding those achieved by more conventional excipients such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) or Eudragit E PO. By leveraging these functional modifications of the parent poly(vinylpyridine) excipient to increase polymer hydrophilicity and minimize the effect of polymer on pH, a new polymeric excipient was optimized for rapid dissolution and supersaturation maintenance for a model compound.