Dimethyl Fumarate Granulate Disintegrant Addition

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Solution Overview

Problem

The effectiveness of disintegrants in pharmaceutical granulation processes is compromised by wetting and drying in wet granulation, leading to reduced disintegration activity, while in dry granulation, the disintegrant's activity remains intact but is not optimally utilized, suggesting a need for a more efficient method to achieve desired drug release profiles.

Innovation Solution

A dry granulation process where dimethyl fumarate is blended with excipients like microcrystalline cellulose, mannitol, and anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate, followed by a second mixing step with a disintegrant, without including disintegrants in the initial blend, and optionally coated with enteric layers, to enhance drug release.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If wet granulation process is used, then granulation efficiency is improved, but disintegrant activity is reduced due to wetting and drying

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegranulation efficiencyVSAvoiddisintegrant activity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the granulation method from wet to dry granulation, fundamentally altering the process parameters to eliminate moisture exposure. This parameter change preserves disintegrant activity while still achieving effective granulation through compression and mechanical force alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the harmful element (moisture/wetting agent) from the granulation process by using dry granulation instead of wet granulation. This removes the cause of disintegrant degradation while maintaining the granulation function through alternative mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

If disintegrant is added intragranularly in wet granulation, then granule formation is improved, but disintegration effectiveness is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegranule formationVSAvoiddisintegration effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by adding disintegrant extragranularly after dry granulation rather than intragranularly during granulation. This reversal preserves disintegrant activity while still achieving effective disintegration, as the disintegrant remains intact and functional when added to the already-formed granules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the granulation and disintegrant addition processes into separate steps: first forming granules through dry granulation, then adding disintegrant in a subsequent mixing step. This segmentation prevents the disintegrant from being exposed to degrading conditions during granulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If two-step disintegrant addition is implemented, then drug release profile is optimized, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrug release profileVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses partial action by adding disintegrant only extragranularly rather than both intragranularly and extragranularly. This partial approach achieves adequate drug release profiles while simplifying the process, demonstrating that full two-step addition is not necessary when using dry granulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3407873B1Process for preparation of a granulate comprising dimethyl fumarate
Publication Date: 2024.08.21 ZAKLADY FARMACEUTYCZNE POLPHARMA SA

AI summary

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical preparation in the form of a granulate comprising dimethyl fumarate and pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical preparation in the form of granulate obtained by the process of the present invention and to use of the preparation in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.