Quality-by-design in hot melt extrusion based amorphous solid dispersions: An industrial perspective on product development

An industrially feasible approach to overcome the solubility and bioavailability limitations of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients is the development of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) using hot-melt extrusion (HME) technique. The application of Quality by Design (QbD) had a profound impact on the development of HME-based ASDs.

The formulation and process optimization of ASDs manufactured via HME techniques require an understanding of critical quality attributes, critical material attributes, critical process parameters, risk assessment tools, and experimental designs. The knowledge gained from each of these QbD elements helps ensure the consistency of product quality. The selection and implementation of appropriate Design of Experiments (DoE) methodology to screen and optimize the formulation and process variables remain a major challenge.

This review provides a comprehensive overview on QbD concepts in HME-based ASDs with an emphasis on DoE methodologies. Further, the information provided in this review can assist researchers in selecting a suitable design with optimal experimental conditions. Specifically, this review has focused on the prediction of drug-polymer miscibility, the elements and sequence of QbD, and various screening and optimization designs, to provide insights into the formulation and process variables that are encountered routinely in the production of HME-based ASDs. More on QbD Hotmelt extrusion