PVP-VA Binder with Plasticizer for Direct Compression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Poorly compressible drugs like naproxen and acetaminophen are typically manufactured into tablets through wet granulation, which is a less commercially favorable process compared to direct compression.

Innovation Solution

A binder composition comprising a copolymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate, combined with hydroxypropyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and an effective amount of a plasticizer, is used for direct compression of these drugs, reducing the glass transition temperature of the copolymer to facilitate the formation of tablets with desired hardness and friability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wet granulation is used to manufacture tablets of poorly compressible drugs, then tablets with desired hardness and friability can be produced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and less commercially favorable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetablet hardness and friabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the binder by selecting specific polymers with defined glass transition temperatures and incorporating plasticizers. This modifies the binder's mechanical properties to enable direct compression of poorly compressible drugs, eliminating the need for wet granulation while maintaining tablet quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite binder formulations combining multiple polymers (e.g., PVP, vinyl acetate copolymers, hydroxypropyl cellulose) with plasticizers. This composite approach creates a binder system with optimized properties for direct compression, resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and tablet quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If direct compression is used for poorly compressible drugs, then the manufacturing process becomes simpler and more commercially favorable, but tablets with desired hardness and friability cannot be produced using conventional binders

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidtablet hardness and friability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention modifies the binder's glass transition temperature through plasticizer selection and concentration optimization, enabling the binder to achieve appropriate mechanical properties for direct compression while maintaining tablet hardness and low friability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The plasticizer acts as an intermediary substance that modifies the binder's properties, enabling direct compression to work with poorly compressible drugs. The plasticizer mediates between the binder polymer and the drug particles, facilitating tablet formation with desired quality attributes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional binders are used in direct compression, then the process is simpler, but unacceptable compression forces are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirect compression processabilityVSAvoidcompression force
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the binder's mechanical parameters, particularly the glass transition temperature, through plasticizer incorporation. This reduces the compression force required for tablet formation from unacceptable levels to acceptable ranges while maintaining direct compression processability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The described method enables the production of tablets with hardness of at least 8 Kp and friability of less than 3%, using direct compression at acceptable forces, while maintaining a high drug content, thus overcoming the limitations of wet granulation.

Implementation Method 1

an effective amount of a plasticizer therewith, to reduce the Tg of said copolymer by at least 10° C.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGlass transition temperature reduction:

Data Source

PatentUS7704528B2Binder composition and method for processing poorly compressible drugs into tablets of predetermined hardness and friability
Publication Date: 2010.04.27 ISP INVESTMENTS LLC

AI summary

Tablets of a poorly compressible drug are made by direct compression using a binder composition which is a polymer, preferably a copolymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and vinyl acetate (VA), having a defined glass transition temperature (Tg), admixed with a plasticizer, e.g. an organic ester or polyol, which reduces the Tg of the copolymer by at least 10° C. The binder composition and the drug are directly compressed into a tablet of predetermined hardness and friability, and at an acceptable compression force.