Exploiting the potential of in situ forming liquid crystals: development and in vitro performance of long-acting depots for peptide drug thymosin alpha 1 subcutaneous administration.

IF 6.5 2区 医学 Q1 PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY
Drug Delivery Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-03-11 DOI:10.1080/10717544.2025.2460708
Mercedes Vitek, Alenka Zvonar Pobirk, Robert Roškar, Mirjam Gosenca Matjaž
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The fast-growing filed of long-acting depots for subcutaneous (SC) administration holds significant potential to enhance patient adherence to treatment regimens, particularly in the context of chronic diseases. Among them, injectable in situ forming lyotropic liquid crystals (LCCs) consisting of hexagonal mesophases represent an attractive platform due to their remarkable highly ordered microstructure enabling the sustained drug release. These systems are especially relevant for peptide drugs, as their use is limited by their short plasma half-life and inherent poor stability. In this study, we thus aimed to exploit the potential of a liquid crystalline platform for the sustained release of peptide drug thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1), characterized by a short plasma half-life and with that associated twice-weekly SC administration regimen. We initially selected specified ingredients, with ethanol serving to reduce viscosity and stabilize the peptide drug Tα1, lecithin contributing to LCCs formation and stabilization, and glycerol monooleate or glycerol monolinoleate representing the hexagonal LCCs forming matrix material. The selected studied nonaqueous precursor formulations were characterized by suitable rheological properties for SC injection. A convenient and rapid in situ phase transition of precursor formulations to hexagonal LCCs, triggered by water absorption, was successfully accomplished in vitro. Notably, in situ formed LCCs demonstrated sustained release kinetics of the peptide drug Tα1 for up to 2 weeks of in vitro release testing, offering minimized dosing frequency and thus promoting patient adherence. In summary, the newly developed in situ forming liquid crystalline systems represent prospective injectable long-acting depots for SC administration of the peptide drug Tα1.

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来源期刊
Drug Delivery
Drug Delivery 医学-药学
CiteScore
11.80
自引率
5.00%
发文量
250
审稿时长
3.3 months
期刊介绍: Drug Delivery is an open access journal serving the academic and industrial communities with peer reviewed coverage of basic research, development, and application principles of drug delivery and targeting at molecular, cellular, and higher levels. Topics covered include all delivery systems including oral, pulmonary, nasal, parenteral and transdermal, and modes of entry such as controlled release systems; microcapsules, liposomes, vesicles, and macromolecular conjugates; antibody targeting; protein/peptide delivery; DNA, oligonucleotide and siRNA delivery. Papers on drug dosage forms and their optimization will not be considered unless they directly relate to the original drug delivery issues. Published articles present original research and critical reviews.
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