UV Imaging - a Technology Platform for Formulation Development.A Closer Look at Drug Release and Dissolution Processes

Most current release and dissolution testing technologies rely on the release of the drug substance into a large volume of media followed by measurement of the amount of substance released into the bulk phase. From such measurements gross information on release rates may be attained, however, extracting information relating to the underlying processes may be difficult. More detailed knowledge on dosage form performance may be attained using recently available UV imaging technology. This presentation will discuss the basics of UV imaging and provide proof of concept as to the use of UV imaging for characterization of drug release processes and measurement of local drug concentrations. Examples, illustrating the potential for performing mechanistically oriented release/dissolution studies will include visualization of the release of nicotine from Nicorette® patch samples, single crystal dissolution, and imaging of drug diffusion and release from Pluronic F127 hydrogels.