The 2nd Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences

Welcome from the Chairs

Welcome from the Chair of the Forum

Welcome to the 2nd Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences (ECPS 2012). The Conference covers research in key areas of opportunity and challenge in pharmaceutical sciences, including:

Advances in the solid state field
Nanotechnology for drug delivery
Design and processing of protein and peptide formulation
Innovations in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Imaging in drug and dosage form development
Physiologically relevant in vitro models

Participants in this multidisciplinary conference will be able to examine, explore and critically engage with issues and advances in these and related areas. We hope to facilitate debates on these topics from academic and industrial perspectives, which will contribute to making drug development globally more successful and efficient.

A special feature of the Conference is that it is an electronic conference. This type of conference is particularly appropriate and useful for pharmaceutical research because the area is progressing rapidly, while activities in industry and academia are simultaneously becoming increasingly globalized. Successful research therefore requires interaction with individuals and groups around the world, demonstrating the need for new types of communication within our community. An electronic conference provides a platform for rapid and direct exchanges about the latest research findings, as well as a possibility for global meetings with no limitations related to traveling. To further remove barriers to "attendance", participation in the Conference as an author or other participant is free of charge.

The 2nd Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences will be held at https://www.sciforum.net/conference/ecps2012, on a platform developed by MDPI to organize electronic conferences.

The 2nd Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences is sponsored by MDPI and the scientific journal Pharmaceutics. Accepted papers will be published in the proceedings of the Forum, and selected papers will be published in Pharmaceutics.

I am very grateful to attendees, in particular authors, members of the Scientific Advisory Committee, session chairs and organizers.

I hope that your participation in the 2nd Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences will prove to be interesting, enjoyable and above all beneficial.

Dr Clare Strachan
Chair of the 2nd Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, New Zealand
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Finland

Dr Clare Strachan completed a PhD in 2005 at the University of Otago (in collaboration with the University of Cambridge) and subsequently became a post doctoral researcher and then group leader at the Centre for Drug Research, University of Helsinki, Finland. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at the School of Pharmacy, University of Otago and has recently accepted a position at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki as an Assistant Professor. She has supervised numerous postgraduate researchers, including six PhD researchers to completion and another seven currently. She has published over 60 articles in international peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has active collaborations with researchers at various universities in Europe and the USA. She has been invited to present at pharmaceutical and spectroscopic conferences around the world. In 2011, she was awarded a University of Otago 2011 Early Careers Award for Distinction in Research.

Dr Clare Strachan’s main research interests involve the physico-chemical characterisation of solid drugs and dosage forms. In particular she has used traditional and novel spectroscopic methods to understand solid state forms of drugs and excipients and changes during manufacturing, storage and dissolution. The main spectroscopic techniques she has used are infrared, near-infrared, Raman, terahertz pulsed spectroscopy. Spatially resolved analysis has involved Raman mapping and coherent anti-Stokes Raman microscopy. Analysis of these data is supported by various chemometrics approaches, both qualitative and quantitative, and computational chemistry methods including ab initio calculations.

Call for Papers

The research within pharmaceutical sciences is progressing fast and simultaneously, activities within both industry and academy are becoming more globalized. Successful research requires interaction with several units around the world. We are facing an obvious need for new types of communication within our scientific community. Sciforum.net electronic conferences provide a platform for fast exchange of the latest research findings, as well as a possibility for global meetings with no limitations related to travelling.

The Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences 2012 (ECPS 2012) will cover topics which are of timely interest in the pharmaceutical sciences. There are six sections:

Advances in the solid state field
Nanotechnology for drug delivery
Design and processing of protein and peptide formulation
Innovations in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Imaging in drug and dosage form development
Physiologically Relevant in Vitro Models

Conference Chairs

Kathy Lai

MDPI AG

Clare Strachan

[Not defined]

May Mah

[Not defined]

Sessions

A. Advances in the solid state field
B. Nanotechnology for drug delivery
C. Design and processing of protein and peptide formulation
D. Innovations in pharmaceutical manufacturing
E. Imaging in drug and dosage form development
F. Physiologically Relevant in Vitro Models

Instructions for Authors

Procedure for Submission, Peer-Review, Revision and Acceptance of Conference Proceedings Papers

1. Scholars interested in participating with the conference can submit their abstract (about 200-300 words covering the areas of Communications for the proceedings issue) online on this website until 9 March 2012.

2. The conference committee will pre-evaluate, based on the submitted abstract, whether a contribution from the scholar (the author of the abstract) will be welcome for this edition of ECPS-2012. All authors will be notified by 26 March 2011 about the acceptance of their abstract.

3. If the abstract is accepted for this conference, the author is asked to submit his full communication paper by 20 April 2012. The submission of accompanying video(s) is especially encouraged, with Powerpoint slides also possible.

4. The conference committee will then organize a round of peer-review of the submitted communication papers, and authors may be asked to revise their paper based on peer-reviewer's comments.

5. Finally, accepted communication papers will appear on the website immediately after their acceptance.

6. Presented communications papers can be discussed during the time of the conference, 1-31 May 2012

Proceedings Paper

Communications for the proceedings issue must have the following organization:

First page:

Title
Full author names
Affiliations and authors' e-mail addresses
Abstract
Keywords

Introduction

Material and Methods

Results and Discussion

Conclusions

(Acknowledgements)

References

Communications should be prepared in MS Word or any other word processor and should be converted to the PDF format before submission. The publication format will be PDF. The Communication paper should count at least 3 pages (incl. figures, tables and references). There is no page limit on the length, although authors are asked to keep their papers as concise as possible.

Videos
Videos are highly encouraged where they enhance scientific understanding and may be submitted as supplementary material attached to the abstract website of the pdf file main text. Video files may be submitted as .flv (preferred) or .avi formats.

Presentation Slides
Authors are encouraged to preare a couple of slides in PowerPoint or similar software, to be displayed online along with the Communication. Slides, if available, will be displayed directly in the website using Sciforum.net's proprietary slides viewer. Slides can be prepared in exactly the same way as for any traditional conference where research results can be presented. Slides should be converted to the PDF format before submission so that our process can easily and automatically convert them for online displaying.

Submission
Submissions should be done by the authors online by registering with www.sciforum.net, and using the "new submission" function once logged into system.

Copyright
MDPI AG, the publisher of the Sciforum.net platform, is an open access publisher. We believe that authors should retain the copyright to their scholarly works. Hence, by submitting a Communication paper to this conference, you retain the copyright of your paper, but you grant MDPI AG the non-exclusive right to publish this paper online on the Sciforum.net platform. This means you can easily submit your paper to any scientific journal at a later stage and transfer the copyright to its publisher (if required by that publisher).

List of accepted submissions (27)

Id	Title	Authors	Poster PDF
sciforum-002412	Laminar Dispersive and Distributive Mixing with Dissolution and Applications to Hot-melt Extrusion Huiju Liu , Costas Gogos Submitted: 27 Feb 2012 Abstract: Show Abstract	Huiju Liu , Costas Gogos	N/A	Show Abstract
Hot Melt Extrusion (HME), a novel and potentially disruptive process for manufacturing oral dosage pharmaceutical products, has been explored and studied in recent times, by both industrial and academic investigators, because of its potential of rendering poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) readily bioavailable to patients through oral dosages. This article presents a brief review of HME from the "elementary steps of polymer processing" perspective: handling of particulate solids, melting, mixing, devolatilization and stripping, pressurization, pumping, as well as dissolution of the API in molten polymeric excipient processed stream. In contrast to traditional polymer processing, the dissolution of the API in the molten excipient during HME is the most important, key, elementary step. The main focus of this article is to discuss the physico-chemical and transport phenomena involved in dissolution and the material, equipment design, and HME process variables which affect it. The main task of the dissolution is to completely dissolve APIs in polymeric melt within the shortest possible residence time, without raising the processed stream melt temperature, and eliminating the possibility of degradation of heat sensitive APIs. We concluded from our work that the dissolution process is a laminar forced convective diffusion process. We will also present results on how to promote the dissolution rate through three categories of variables: process variables (screw speed, feeding rate, barrel temperature,), equipment variables (screw elements and configurations) and material variables (viscosity ratio, solubility parameters and particle sizes of API and excipient particulates). A novel viscometric method for the determination of the solubility of APIs in polymeric melts will also be discussed.
sciforum-002414	Preparation and characterization of carbamazepine-polyethylene oxide hot-melt extruded solid dispersions Jelena Djuris , Ioannis Nikolakakis , Svetlana Ibric , Zorica Djuric , Kyriakos Kachrimanis Submitted: 29 Feb 2012 Abstract: Show Abstract	Jelena Djuris , Ioannis Nikolakakis , Svetlana Ibric , Zorica Djuric , Kyriakos Kachrimanis	N/A	Show Abstract
The aim of the presented study was to investigate the possibility of usage of polyethylene oxide polymer (PEO, Polyox® WSR 301, DOW, USA) in the preparation of carbamazepine hot-melt extruded solid dispersions. Hot-melt extrusion (HME) is a simple, solvent free and continuous processing technique used to produce variety of dosage forms. Thermoplastic materials, such as PEO polymers, are required for the process feasibility. Poloxamer 407 (Lutrol® F127, BASF, Germany) was used as a plasticizer to facilitate the HME process, by reducing the processing temperature and lowering the monitored torque. Physico-chemical properties of carbamazepine and polymers, their physical mixtures and dispersions made by melt-mixing or HME were characterized in detail. A hot-melt extruder with one rotating screw was used for the preparation of solid dispersions by HME technique (RCP-0250 Microtruder, Randcastle extrusion systems, USA). Samples were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), FT-IR spectroscopy and hot-stage microscopy (HSM) methods. Obtained results indicate that the addition of plasticizer enables preparation of carbamazepine-PEO hot-melt extrudates using a single-screw extruder configuration. It was demonstrated that there is no degradation of CBZ upon heating in the HME processing temperature range (90-110°C). Furthermore, the crystalline form of CBZ was not altered during the HME processing. The presence of CBZ form III crystals, homogeneously dispersed in the hot-melt extrudates, was confirmed. Dispersion of CBZ crystals in the polymers mixtures was visualized using the polarizing HSM technique. Presented study demonstrates the potential of PEO WSR 301 application in the preparation of carbamazepine hot-melt extruded solid dispersions.
sciforum-002418	The Artificial Stomach and Duodenum (ASD): A physiologically relevant in vitro dissolution tool Shobha Bhattachar , Lee Burns Submitted: 05 Mar 2012 Abstract: Show Abstract	Shobha Bhattachar , Lee Burns	N/A	Show Abstract
The artificial stomach and duodenum (ASD) is a physiologically relevant in vitro dissolution tool that simulates the pH, mixing conditions, fluid composition and fluid flow in the gastric and duodenum compartments[1]. This tool is designed to generate gastric and duodenal concentration profiles to capture dissolution, precipitation and supersaturation phenomena under conditions that simulate the in vivo environment. Duodenal concentration profiles generated from ASD experiments have the potential to provide a rank order prediction of in vivo absorption of compounds as a function of formulation, gastric pH, or gastric emptying time. In this work, we report the IVIVC we established between ASD duodenal concentration profiles generated in our lab, and human in vivo duodenal concentration profiles that were obtained upon oral administration of solution doses of ketoconazole and dipyridamole to healthy volunteers[2]. As an example that demonstrates the application of this tool, we also report on the rank order IVIVC we established between the plasma exposure of dipyridamole[3] and ASD duodenal concentration profiles we generated, under standard and elevated gastric pH conditions. [1]Carino, S. et al. 2006; Relative bioavailability estimation of carbamazepine crystal forms using an artificial stomach-duodenum model. J. Pharm Sci 95(1), 116-125. [2] Psachoulias, D., et al. 2011; Precipitation in and Supersaturation of Contents of the Upper Small Intestine After Administration of Two Weak Bases to Fasted Adults. Pharm. Research, 28(12): 3145-3158 [3] Russell, T. L., et al. 1994; pH-Related Changes in the Absorption of Dipyridamole in the Elderly. Pharm. Research 11 (1): 136-143
sciforum-002419	Gene Delivery using Non-Viral Vectors (Cyclodextrins) with Pluronic-F127 and Folic Acid Matthew Eng , Amal Elkordy Submitted: 12 Mar 2012 Abstract: Show Abstract	Matthew Eng , Amal Elkordy	N/A	Show Abstract
Over the years, gene therapy has gained much attention across the field of research. The ability to deliver genes into cells offers the opportunities to treat various human genetic disease which results from mutation or deletion of gene(s). Effective gene delivery is highly dependent on its stability and ability to transfect across cell membrane and interferes with the host DNA. However, DNA is easily susceptible to enzymatic degradation and its large size and highly negatively charged surface are barriers towards successful transfection (1). Therefore, DNA has to be protected from degradation, neutralised and condensed into appropriate size for effective gene delivery. Currently, non-viral vectors are the preferred carrier systems as they are safer, and easier to manufacture. In this research, the use of β and γ-cyclodextrin as non-viral vectors with the incorporation of two different excipients (Pluronic-F127 and folic acid) at different concentrations to stabilise the formulation was investigated. These formulations were characterised in fresh and freeze dried forms. The freeze dried and fresh solutions of DNA were prepared with cyclodextrins (β or γ), folic acid and Pluronic-F127 as excipients in different ratios [(3:3:1, 10:10:1 and 20:10:1) excipient : cyclodextrin : DNA]. The DNA stability in the formulations was tested by determining the stability of DNA against enzymatic degradation (DNase test) using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The degree of DNA inclusion into cyclodextrins was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to study the interaction between DNA and excipients. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used in observing the surface morphology and uniformity of formed freeze dried particles and thermal behaviour was studied using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC).The formulations were also stored in high humidity (RH=76%) over 5 weeks to access storage stability. In addition, charge measurement was conducted to figure out the transfection efficiency in vivo. It was observed that incorporation of Pluronic-F127 produced the most stable formulations regarding enzymatic degradation, particularly in the freeze dried formulations. These formulations also show high percentage inclusion (>40%). Shift of peaks in FTIR data, appearance of uniform particulate as detected by SEM and changing in the denaturation temperature as demonstrated by DSC data for Pluronic-F127 containing formulations confirms clear interaction between Pluronic-F127 and the cyclodextrin/DNA complex which exhibits positive overall charge. DNA/cyclodextrin formulations containing Pluronic-F127 also showed high stability and protection for the DNA after storage at 76%RH. Overall, it was noted γ-cyclodextrin provide better protection and inclusion compared to β-cyclodextrin. In summary, Pluronic-F127 with β or γ -cyclodextrins is a promising combination to improve stability and delivery of DNA. References 1. Anchordoquy JT, Allison SD, Lorinda M, Girouard G 2001. Physical stabilization of DNA-based therapeutics. Drug Discovery Today. 6:463-470
sciforum-002420	Development strategies for herbal products reducing the influence of natural variance in dry mass on tableting properties and tablet characteristics Ylber Qusaj , Firas Alshihabi , Andreas Leng , Blerim Krasniqi , Martin Tobler , Thierry Vandamme Submitted: 08 Mar 2012 Abstract: Show Abstract	Ylber Qusaj , Firas Alshihabi , Andreas Leng , Blerim Krasniqi , Martin Tobler , Thierry Vandamme	N/A	Show Abstract
One "Quality by Design" approach is the focus on the variability of the properties of the active substance. This is crucially important for active substances that are obtained from natural recourses such as herbal plant material and extracts. In this paper we present various strategies for the development of herbal products taking into account especially the natural batch to batch variability (mainly of the dry mass) for tablets that contain a fixed amount of tincture. The following steps of the development have been evaluated for the out come of the physico-chemical properties of the resulting tablets and intermediates: Concentration of the tincture extracted from Echinacea fresh plant, loading of the concentrate onto an inert carrier, the respective wet granulation and drying step, including milling, and the adjuvant excipients for tablet compression step. The responses that were investigated are the mean particle size of the dried and milled granulates, compaction properties and disintegration time of the tablets. Increased particle size has been shown to significant increase of the disintegration time and decrease of the compaction properties. In addition, our results exhibited that the particle size has a great dependency on the ratio of liquid to carrier during the wet granulation process. Thus, the performed strategy of the extracted tincture in correlation to its dry mass and its relation to the amount of carrier used influenced the variability on the respective parameters tested. In order to optimize those parameters, a good strategy has to be carefully chosen.

Full List

List of Authors (67)

Firas Alshihabi

Stefania Baldursdottir

Jörg Breitkreutz

Gina Fisher

Joergen Garnaes

Henrik Jensen

Kyriakos Kachrimanis

Ivan Kovacevic

Vladimir Lukic

Sponsors and Partners

Media Partners

Proceedings & Editors

Editors

Jukka Rantanen

Kaisa Naelapää

Jely He

CD-ROM edition

ISBN: 3-906980-30-8

Published in 2013 by MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Rates for CD-ROM archive edition

CHF 100 before the conference

CHF 150 after the conference

CHF 250 per year for non-participants and for institutions

Please place the order by e-mail: Billing

Organizers

Conference Chair

Dr. Clare Strachan

School of Pharmacy
University of Otago
P.O. Box 56
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand

(please direct your e-mails about ECPS 2012
to Ms. Kathy Lai)

Editorial Office

Ms. Kathy Lai

MDPI AG
MDPI Haidian Office
Suite 815, North 4th Ring Road West, 9, Haidian
District, Beijing 100190
China

Tel.: +86 10 6280 0830
E-mail: kathy.lai@mdpi.com

Scientific Secretary

Ms May Mah
University of Otago, New Zealand

Scientific Committee

Prof. Dr. Arvind Bansal
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), India

Prof. Dr. Anne Juppo
University of Helsinki, Finland

Prof. Dr. Peter Kleinebudde
Heinrich-Heine-University, Germany

Prof. Dr. Ken Morris
University of Hawaii at Hilo, USA

Prof. Dr. João Pinto
University of Lisbon, Portugal

Prof. Dr. Thomas Rades
University of Otago, New Zealand

Prof. Dr. Jukka Rantanen
University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Prof. Dr, Jean Paul Remon
Ghent University, Belgium

Dr. Axel Zeitler
University of Cambridge, UK

List of Papers (2) Toggle list

F. Physiologically Relevant in Vitro Models

Assoc. Prof. Anette Mullertz, Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

In order to facilitate the drug development process there is an increasing need for in vitro models able to predict the fate of a dosage form in the gastrointestinal tract and in the end the bioavailability of the drug compound. This section invites contributions dealing with all forms of biorelevant in vitro models, aimed as simulating the environment of the gastro-intestinal tract and the interactions with formulations and drug compound.

The 2nd Electronic Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences

1–31 May 2012

Welcome from the Chairs

Call for Papers

Conference Chairs

Sessions

Instructions for Authors

List of accepted submissions (27)

List of Authors (67)

Sponsors and Partners

Media Partners

Proceedings & Editors

Organizers

Conference Chair

Editorial Office

Scientific Secretary

Scientific Committee

A. Advances in the solid state field

Submissions

B. Nanotechnology for drug delivery

Submissions

C. Design and processing of protein and peptide formulation

Submissions

D. Innovations in pharmaceutical manufacturing

Submissions

E. Imaging in drug and dosage form development

Submissions

F. Physiologically Relevant in Vitro Models

Submissions