Other articles by Karthik Nagapudi on PubMed

• Photo-cross-linking of Type I Collagen Gels in the Presence of Smooth Muscle Cells: Mechanical Properties, Cell Viability, and Function Biomacromolecules. Jul-Aug, 2003  |   Pubmed ID: 12857069 The effectiveness of photomediated cross-linking of type I collagen gels in the presence of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC) as a method to enhance gel mechanical properties while retaining native collagen triple helical structure and maintaining high cell viability was investigated. Collagen was chemically modified to incorporate an acrylate moiety. Collagen methacrylamide was cast into gels in the presence of a photoinitiator along with RASMC. The gels were cross-linked using visible light irradiation. Neither acrylate modification nor the cross-linking reaction altered collagen triple helical content. The cross-linking reaction, however, moved the denaturation temperature beyond the physiologic range. A twelve-fold increase in shear modulus was observed after cross-linking. Cell viability in the range of 70% (n = 4, p > 0.05) was observed in the photo-cross-linked gels. Moreover the cells were able to contract the cross-linked gel in a manner commensurate with that observed for natural type I collagen. Methacrylate-mediated photo-cross-linking is a facile route to improve mechanical properties of collagen gels in the presence of cells while maintaining high cell viability. This enhances the potential for type I collagen gels to be used as scaffolds for tissue engineering.
• Viscoelastic and Mechanical Behavior of Recombinant Protein Elastomers Biomaterials. Aug, 2005  |   Pubmed ID: 15763249 Recombinant DNA synthesis was employed to produce elastin-mimetic protein triblock copolymers containing chemically distinct midblocks. These materials displayed a broad range of mechanical and viscoelastic responses ranging from plastic to elastic when examined as hydrated gels and films. These properties could be related in a predictable fashion to polymer block size and structure. While these materials could be easily processed into films and gels, electrospinning proved a feasible strategy for creating protein fibers. All told, the range of properties exhibited by this new class of protein triblock copolymer in combination with their easy processability suggests potential utility in a variety of soft prosthetic and tissue engineering applications.
• Alterations in Physical Cross-linking Modulate Mechanical Properties of Two-phase Protein Polymer Networks Biomacromolecules. Nov-Dec, 2005  |   Pubmed ID: 16283724 Physically cross-linked protein-based materials possess a number of advantages over their chemically cross-linked counterparts, including ease of processing and the ability to avoid the addition or removal of chemical reagents or unreacted intermediates. The investigations reported herein sought to examine the nature of physical cross-links within two-phase elastin-mimetic protein triblock copolymer networks through an analysis of macroscopic viscoelastic properties. Given the capacity of solution processing conditions, including solvent type and temperature to modulate the microstructure of two-phase protein polymer networks, viscoelastic properties were examined under conditions in which interphase block mixing had been either accentuated or diminished during network formation. Protein networks exhibited strikingly different properties in terms of elastic modulus, hysteresis, residual deformability, and viscosity in response to interdomain mixing. Thus, two-phase protein polymer networks exhibit tunable responses that extend the range of application of these materials to a variety of tissue engineering applications.
• Quantification of Compaction-induced Crystallinity Reduction of a Pharmaceutical Solid Using 19F Solid-state NMR and Powder X-ray Diffraction Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy. Aug, 2009  |   Pubmed ID: 19360510 (19)F solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was investigated as an analytical technique to quantify the amorphous phase in a fluorine-containing pharmaceutical candidate. The crystallinity of Compound 1 was calculated using two (19)F T(1) relaxation-based methods. The first method employs both the pure amorphous and the crystalline reference standards while the second method is model independent and utilizes a single standard. The (19)F solid-state NMR results were confirmed with powder X-ray diffraction methods. From X-ray diffraction data, two linear calibration curves were obtained from blends of crystalline and amorphous Compound 1: one is based on the total integrated intensity of selected diffraction peaks and the other on the total intensity of the amorphous halo at 2theta positions that have no interference from crystalline diffraction peaks. The crystallinity of Compound 1 after compaction calculated by both (19)F solid-state NMR methods was in excellent agreement with the results from the X-ray calibration curves. (19)F solid-state NMR was shown to be a powerful technique in determining the amount of amorphous phase present in a pharmaceutical solid.
• Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Co-crystals Using Twin Screw Extrusion: a Solvent-less and Scalable Process Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Apr, 2010  |   Pubmed ID: 19774652
• Fast Surface Crystallization of Amorphous Griseofulvin Below T G Pharmaceutical Research. Aug, 2010  |   Pubmed ID: 20414704 To study crystal growth rates of amorphous griseofulvin (GSF) below its glass transition temperature (T (g)) and the effect of surface crystallization on the overall crystallization kinetics of amorphous GSF.
• Selective and Potent Raf Inhibitors Paradoxically Stimulate Normal Cell Proliferation and Tumor Growth Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Aug, 2010  |   Pubmed ID: 20663930 Raf inhibitors are under clinical investigation, specifically in patients with tumor types harboring frequent activating mutations in B-Raf. Here, we show that cell lines and tumors harboring mutant B-Raf were sensitive to a novel series of Raf inhibitors (e.g., (V600E)B-Raf A375, IC(50) on cells = 2 nmol/L; ED(50) on tumor xenografts = 1.3 mg/kg). However, in cells and tumors with wild-type B-Raf, exposure to Raf inhibitors resulted in a dose-dependent and sustained activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. In some of these cell lines, Raf inhibition led to entry into the cell cycle, enhanced proliferation, and significantly stimulated tumor growth in vivo. Inhibition with structurally distinct Raf inhibitors or isoform-specific small interfering RNA knockdown of Raf showed that these effects were mediated directly through Raf. Either A-Raf or C-Raf mediated the Raf inhibitor-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway activation in an inhibitor-specific manner. These paradoxical effects of Raf inhibition were seen in malignant and normal cells in vitro and in vivo. Hyperplasia of normal epithelial cells in the esophagus and the stomach was evident in mice with all efficacious Raf inhibitors (n = 8) tested. An implication of these results is that Raf inhibitors may induce unexpected normal cell and tumor tissue proliferation in patients.
• Manufacture and Performance Evaluation of a Stable Amorphous Complex of an Acidic Drug Molecule and Neusilin Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Aug, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 21520086 In this paper, we explore the use of Neusilin, an inorganic magnesium aluminometasilicate, to stabilize the amorphous form of an acidic drug Sulindac. Both cryomilling and ball milling of the drug with Neusilin were found to produce the amorphous phase. However, the ball-milled (BM) material exhibited superior physical stability when compared with the cryomilled material at 40°C/75% relative humidity. (13) C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of the BM material revealed an acid-base reaction between Sulindac and Neusilin. Optimal milling conditions and the kinetics of salt formation were also established. As benchtop milling is a laboratory-scale process, a scalable process was developed to make Sulindac-Neusilin amorphous drug complex using hot-melt extrusion (HME). The dissolution properties of the resulting HME material was found to have been improved over the material made by benchtop milling while maintaining similar physical stability. The HME material was used to make tablets using a direct compression method. The HME tablets were found to have better dissolution properties than tablets made from crystalline Sulindac. For the broad class of acidic drugs containing the carboxyl moiety, inorganic silicates such as Neusilin would offer a better choice than organic polymers to stabilize the amorphous phase.
• Application of Twin Screw Extrusion in the Manufacture of Cocrystals, Part I: Four Case Studies Pharmaceutics. Aug, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 24310598 The application of twin screw extrusion (TSE) as a scalable and green process for the manufacture of cocrystals was investigated. Four model cocrystal forming systems, Caffeine-Oxalic acid, Nicotinamide-trans cinnamic acid, Carbamazepine-Saccharin, and Theophylline-Citric acid, were selected for the study. The parameters of the extrusion process that influenced cocrystal formation were examined. TSE was found to be an effective method to make cocrystals for all four systems studied. It was demonstrated that temperature and extent of mixing in the extruder were the primary process parameters that influenced extent of conversion to the cocrystal in neat TSE experiments. In addition to neat extrusion, liquid-assisted TSE was also demonstrated for the first time as a viable process for making cocrystals. Notably, the use of catalytic amount of benign solvents led to a lowering of processing temperatures required to form the cocrystal in the extruder. TSE should be considered as an efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly process for the manufacture of cocrystals with little to no solvent requirements.
• High-throughput 96-well Solvent Mediated Sonic Blending Synthesis and On-plate Solid/solution Stability Characterization of Pharmaceutical Cocrystals International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Jan, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23178596 A 96-well high-throughput cocrystal screening workflow has been developed consisting of solvent-mediated sonic blending synthesis and on-plate solid/solution stability characterization by XRPD. A strategy of cocrystallization screening in selected blend solvents including water mixtures is proposed to not only manipulate solubility of the cocrystal components but also differentiate physical stability of the cocrystal products. Caffeine-oxalic acid and theophylline-oxalic acid cocrystals were prepared and evaluated in relation to saturation levels of the cocrystal components and stability of the cocrystal products in anhydrous and hydrous solvents. AMG 517 was screened with a number of coformers, and solid/solution stability of the resulting cocrystals on the 96-well plate was investigated. A stability trend was observed and confirmed that cocrystals comprised of lower aqueous solubility coformers tended to be more stable in water. Furthermore, cocrystals which could be isolated under hydrous solvent blending condition exhibited superior physical stability to those which could only be obtained under anhydrous condition. This integrated HTS workflow provides an efficient route in an API-sparing approach to screen and identify cocrystal candidates with proper solubility and solid/solution stability properties.
• Crystal Structure Study and Investigation of Solid-state Cyclization for AMG 222, a Channel Hydrate International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Jan, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23182974 In this study, we investigate the solid-state structure and stability of AMG 222 (5-(2-[2-(2-cyano-pyrrolidin-1-yl)-2-oxo-ethylamino]-propyl)-5-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene-2,8 dicarboxylic acid bisdimethylamide), a small molecule DPP-IV inhibitor. Crystal structure of AMG 222 has been solved from single crystal X-ray analysis. Crystallographic data are as follows: monoclinic, P2(1) (no. 4), a=9.0327(5)Å, b=18.6177(8)Å, c=21.4927(10)Å, β=90.126(3)°, V=3614.4(3)Å(3), Z=4. Based on single crystal structure, AMG 222 is a pentahydrate with the water molecules sitting in channels formed by the drug framework. There are three distinct crystal structures of AMG 222 between 0 and 95% relative humidity (RH), namely the anhydrate, hemihydrate, and pentahydrate forms. Solid-state stability of the GMP batch showed a high level of cyclized degradation product. It was postulated that the degradation was promoted by increased amorphous content generated as a result of excessive drying that was employed to remove residual crystallization solvent. Material produced using a modified procedure using a humidified nitrogen purge had lower amorphous content and lower levels of cyclic degradation when compared to the GMP batch.
• Effect of PH and Excipients on Structure, Dynamics, and Long-term Stability of a Model IgG1 Monoclonal Antibody Upon Freeze-drying Pharmaceutical Research. Apr, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23184227 To investigate the mechanism of IgG1 mAb stabilization after freeze-drying and the interdependence of protein structural preservation in the solid state, glassy state dynamics and long-term storage stability under different formulation conditions.
• Structural Studies of a Non-stoichiometric Channel Hydrate Using High Resolution X-ray Powder Diffraction, Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and Moisture Sorption Methods Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Sep, 2014  |   Pubmed ID: 24470123 Structural investigations of a nonstoichiometric hydrate, AMG 222 tosylate, a DPP-IV inhibitor in clinical development for type II diabetes, were performed using a multitechnique approach. The moisture sorption isotherm is in good agreement with a simple Langmuir model, suggesting that the hydrate water is located in well-defined crystallographic sites, which become vacant during dehydration. Crystal structures of AMG 222 tosylate at ambient and dry conditions were determined from high-resolution X-ray diffraction using the direct space method. On the basis of these crystal structures, hydrated water is located in channels formed by the drug framework. Upon dehydration, an isostructural dehydrate is formed with the channels remaining void and accessible to water for rehydration. Kitaigorodskii packing coefficients of the solid between relative humidity of 0% and 90% indicate that the equilibrium form of AMG 222 tosylate is the fully hydrated monohydrate.
• Application of Twin Screw Extrusion to the Manufacture of Cocrystals: Scale-up of AMG 517-sorbic Acid Cocrystal Production Faraday Discussions. 2014  |   Pubmed ID: 25406487 The application of twin screw extrusion (TSE) in the scale-up of cocrystal production was investigated by using AMG 517-sorbic acid as a model system. Extrusion parameters that influenced conversion to the cocrystal such as temperature, feed rate and screw speed were investigated. Extent of conversion to the cocrystal was found to have a strong dependence on temperature and a moderate dependence on feed rate and screw speed. Cocrystals made by the TSE process were found to have superior mechanical properties than solution grown cocrystals. Additionally, moving to a TSE process eliminated the need for solvent.
• Sorbitol Crystallization-induced Aggregation in Frozen MAb Formulations Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Feb, 2015  |   Pubmed ID: 25219372 Sorbitol crystallization-induced aggregation of mAbs in the frozen state was evaluated. The effect of protein aggregation resulting from sorbitol crystallization was measured as a function of formulation variables such as protein concentration and pH. Long-term studies were performed on both IgG1 and IgG2 mAbs over the protein concentration range of 0.1-120 mg/mL. Protein aggregation was measured by size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) and further characterized by capillary-electrophoresis SDS. Sorbitol crystallization was monitored and characterized by subambient differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. Aggregation due to sorbitol crystallization is inversely proportional to both protein concentration and formulation pH. At high protein concentrations, sorbitol crystallization was suppressed, and minimal aggregation by SE-HPLC resulted, presumably because of self-stabilization of the mAbs. The glass transition temperature (Tg ') and fragility index measurements were made to assess the influence of molecular mobility on the crystallization of sorbitol. Tg ' increased with increasing protein concentration for both mAbs. The fragility index decreased with increasing protein concentration, suggesting that it is increasingly difficult for sorbitol to crystallize at high protein concentrations.
• Amorphous Solid Dispersions: a Robust Platform to Address Bioavailability Challenges Therapeutic Delivery. Feb, 2015  |   Pubmed ID: 25690090 Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) are being used with increasing frequency for poorly soluble pharmaceutical compounds in development. These systems consist of an amorphous active pharmaceutical ingredient stabilized by a polymer to produce a system with improved physical and solution stability. ASDs are commonly considered as a means of improving the apparent solubility of an active pharmaceutical ingredient. This review will discuss methods of preparation and characterization of ASDs with an emphasis on understanding and predicting stability. Theoretical understanding of supersaturation and predicting in vivo performance will be stressed. Additionally, a summary of preclinical and clinical development efforts will be presented to give the reader an understanding of risks and key pitfalls when developing an ASD.
• Conformational Isomerism in Solid State of AMG 853--structure Studies Using Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and X-ray Diffraction Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Jul, 2015  |   Pubmed ID: 25912152 Investigation of an additional resonance peak in the (19) F solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of AMG 853, a dual antagonist of DP and CRTH2 previously in clinical development for asthma, has led to the identification of two conformational isomers coexisting in the crystal lattice in a continuous composition range between 89.7%:10.3% and 96.5%:3.5%. These two isomers differ in the chloro-flurorophenyl moiety orientation-the aromatic ring is flipped by 180° in these two isomers. The level of the minor isomer is directly measured through integration of the two peaks in the (19) F solid-state NMR spectrum. The values obtained from the NMR data are in excellent agreement with the degree of disorder of the fluorine atom in the crystal structure, refined using both single-crystal and high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction data.
• Investigation of Phase Mixing in Amorphous Solid Dispersions of AMG 517 in HPMC-AS Using DSC, Solid-State NMR, and Solution Calorimetry Molecular Pharmaceutics. Nov, 2015  |   Pubmed ID: 26457879 Intimate phase mixing between the drug and the polymer is considered a prerequisite to achieve good physical stability for amorphous solid dispersions. In this article, spray dried amorphous dispersions (ASDs) of AMG 517 and HPMC-as were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solid-state NMR (SSNMR), and solution calorimetry. DSC analysis showed a weakly asymmetric (ΔTg ≈ 13.5) system with a single glass transition for blends of different compositions indicating phase mixing. The Tg-composition data was modeled using the BKCV equation to accommodate the observed negative deviation from ideality. Proton spin-lattice relaxation times in the laboratory and rotating frames ((1)H T1 and T1ρ), as measured by SSNMR, were consistent with the observation that the components of the dispersion were in intimate contact over a 10-20 nm length scale. Based on the heat of mixing calculated from solution calorimetry and the entropy of mixing calculated from the Flory-Huggins theory, the free energy of mixing was calculated. The free energy of mixing was found to be positive for all ASDs, indicating that the drug and polymer are thermodynamically predisposed to phase separation at 25 °C. This suggests that miscibility measured by DSC and SSNMR is achieved kinetically as the result of intimate mixing between drug and polymer during the spray drying process. This kinetic phase mixing is responsible for the physical stability of the ASD.
• Application of (19)  F Time-domain NMR to Measure Content in Fluorine-containing Drug Products Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry : MRC. Jun, 2016  |   Pubmed ID: 25773191 It is necessary to show that the active content in the dosage form of drugs is within a certain narrow range of the label claim. In case of fluorinated drugs, the active content can be measured by high field solid state NMR because the excipients lack fluorine. To make NMR reachable to any laboratory, simple to use, and at a low cost, measurement of (19)  F nucleus using a 23 MHz (for (1) H) low field benchtop time-domain (TD) NMR was investigated. Three fluorinated drug products, cinacalcet, lansoprazole, and ciprofloxacin, were chosen for this study. The doses for these drug products range from 15 to 500 mg. The average drug content measured using (19)  F TD-NMR compares well with the reported label claims for the three drugs tested. (19)  F TD-NMR is a simple and non-destructive technique to measure drug content in tablets. In addition, the accessibility and simplicity of the technique makes it an excellent process analytical technology tool for development and manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• A Rational Approach Towards Development of Amorphous Solid Dispersions: Experimental and Computational Techniques International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Mar, 2017  |   Pubmed ID: 28063904 The purpose of this study was to determine the drug-polymer miscibility of GENE-A, a Genentech molecule, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-acetate succinate (HPMC-AS), a polymer, using computational and experimental approaches. The Flory-Huggins interaction parameter,χ, was obtained by calculating the solubility parameters for GENE-A and HPMC-AS over the temperature range of 25-100°C to obtain the free energy of mixing at different drug loadings (0-100%) using the Materials Studio modeling and simulation platform (thermodynamic approach). Solid-state nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (ssNMR) was used to measure the proton relaxation times for both drug and polymer at different drug loadings (up to 60%) at RT (kinetic approach). Thermodynamically, the drug and polymer were predicted to show favorable mixing as indicated by a negative Gibbs free energy of mixing from 25 to 100°C. ssNMR showed near identical relaxation times for both drug and polymer in the solid dispersion at RT and 40°C for a period up to 6 months showing phase mixing between the API and polymer on 
• Control Strategies for Drug Product Continuous Direct Compression-State of Control, Product Collection Strategies, and Startup/Shutdown Operations for the Production of Clinical Trial Materials and Commercial Products Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Apr, 2017  |   Pubmed ID: 28069357 Continuous manufacturing (CM) has emerged in the pharmaceutical industry as a paradigm shift with significant advantages related to cost, efficiency, flexibility, and higher assurance of quality. The inherent differences from batch processes justify examining the CM control strategy more holistically. This article describes the current thinking for the control and implementation of CM, using the example of a direct compression process and taking into consideration the ICH Q10 definition of "state of control" and process validation requirements. Statistical process control using control charts, sources of variation, process capability, and process performance is explained as a useful concept that can help assess the impact of variation within a batch and indicates if a process is in state of control. The potential for time-variant nature of startup and shutdown with CM is discussed to assure product quality while minimizing waste as well as different options for detection and isolation of non-conforming materials due to process upsets. While different levels of control are possible with CM, an appropriate balance between process control and end product testing is needed depending on the level of process understanding at the different stages of development from the production of clinical supplies through commercialization.
• Humidity Induced Phase Transformation of Poloxamer 188 and Its Effect on Physical Stability of Amorphous Solid Dispersion of AMG 579, a PDE10A Inhibitor International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Apr, 2017  |   Pubmed ID: 28163226 Poloxamer 188, a commonly used emulsifying and solubilizing agent, was found to be the cause of crystallization of an investigational drug, AMG 579, from its amorphous solid dispersion at accelerated storage conditions. Investigation of this physical stability issue included thorough characterization of poloxamer 188 at non-ambient conditions. At 40°C, poloxamer 188 becomes deliquescent above relative humidity of 75%. Upon returning to ambient conditions, the deliquescent poloxamer 188 loses water and re-solidifies. The reversible phase transformation of poloxamer 188 may cause physical and chemical stability issues and this risk should be assessed when selecting it as an excipient for formulation development.
• High-throughput Screening and Scale-up of Cocrystals Using Resonant Acoustic Mixing International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Apr, 2017  |   Pubmed ID: 28229947 This paper explores the effectiveness of resonant acoustic mixing RAM for screening and scale up of cocrystals. 16 cocrystal systems were selected as test cases based on previous literature precedent. A 96 well plate set up in conjunction with zirconia beads was used for cocrystal screening using RAM. A success rate of 80% was obtained in the screen for plates containing solvent or solvent plus Zirconia beads. A proof of concept production of hydrated and anhydrous cocrystals of 1:1 Theophylline Citric acid system at a 400mg scale was demonstrated using solvent and bead assisted RAM. Finally the parameters affecting the scale up of 2:1 Theophylline Oxalic acid cocrystals was explored in a systematic fashion using a Design of Experiments DOE approach. The RAM parameters of acceleration and mixing time were optimized using the DOE approach. A quantitative XRPD method was developed to determine the extent of conversion to the cocrystal when using RAM Mixing time of 2h and an acceleration of 60G were determined to be optimal. The optimized parameters were used to demonstrate scale up of 2:1 Theophylline Oxalic acid cocrystals at an 80 gram scale with a net yield of 94%. RAM is thus established as an environmentally friendly mechanochemical technique for both high throughput screening and scaled up production of cocrystals.