Kinetic study by thermal decomposition of antiretroviral drugs, Efavirenz (EFV) and Lamivudine (3TC), usually present in the HIV cocktail, can be done by individual adjustment of the solid decomposition models. However, in some cases unacceptable errors are found using this methodology. To circumvent this problem, here is proposed to use a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP), with an appropriate algorithm, which constitutes a linearization of the network by setting weights between the input layer and the intermediate one and the use of Kinetic models as activation functions of neurons in the hidden layer. The interconnection weights between that intermediate layer and output layer determines the contribution of each model in the overall fit of the experimental data. Thus, the decomposition is assumed to be a phenomenon that can occur following different kinetic processes. In the investigated data, the kinetic thermal decomposition process was best described by R1 and D4 model for all temperatures to EFV and 3TC, respectively. The residual error adjustment over the network is on average 10 3 times lower for EFV and 10 2 times lower for 3TC compared to the best individual kinetic model that describes the process. These improvements in physical adjustment allow detailed study of the process and therefore a more accurate calculation of the kinetic parameters such as the activation energy and frequency factor. It was found E a = 75.230 kJ / mol and s -1 for EFV and E a = 103.25 kJ / mol and s -1 for 3TC.

Thermal analysis can be used to determine shelf-life and kinetic parameters in pharmaceutical systems. This work investigates the kinetic of lumefantrine thermal decomposition, an antimalarial, using non-isothermal and isothermal experimental data. The non-isothermal conditions are analyzed applying Vyazovkin method, while isothermal conditions employ models fitting procedure and artificial neural network. Lumefantrine was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The initial stage of lumefantrine thermal decomposition, about 5% of conversion, corresponds to the loss of chlorine and hydroxyl, being correctly predicted by the neural network as a complex event. At room temperature, the D3 model is appropriate to describe the process, once the half-life time is 19 months, in agreement with manufacturer. Isoconversional model determined the activation energy along the whole process while isothermal methodology determined the global value considering the entire process. The results provide important information for the pharmaceutical industry to assay levels of acceptable lumefantrine contents.

No abstract

No abstract

Azathioprine is an immunosuppressive drug for several inflammatory disorders. Due to its clinical relevance, to explore the solid-state properties for excipient compatibility in the product quality review process is essential. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis (thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) were applied. The compatibility studies evidenced that starch pregelatinized, colloidal silicon dioxide, and talc are fully compatible with azathioprine. However, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, and mannitol are incompatible after heat supply at temperatures easily reached by industrial processing. The nonlinear Vyazovkin isoconversional treatment performed the kinetic study of the thermal degradation. The activation energies were determined to clarify the influence of each excipient on the thermal drug stability, an essential procedure in the pharmaceutical development, and all over the commercial live span, in Good Manufacturing Practices.