Development and in vitro evaluation of an abuse-deterrent formulation based on a crosslinked starch derivative

An innovative abuse-deterrent composition was developed to deter the most dangerous route of drug abuse, the intravenous route. The composition is based on a crosslinked sodium starch glycolate (X-SSG) that can effectively complex with cationic drugs in aqueous solutions and minimize the amount of the free drug available for extraction. Furthermore, the crosslinked polymer swells in and entraps a portion of the drug solution by which it reduces the available volume for syringing and subsequent injection. Two deterrent compositions were prepared, a drug-polymer physical blend and a drug-polymer chemical complex. The composition in its complexed form showed greater deterrence capacity than the physical blend except in solvents with ionic moieties, where the deterrence remained almost the same. The studies revealed that the complexation with the drug played a major role in total drug entrapment. Tablets prepared from the drug-polymer complex showed a complete and immediate drug release in 0.1 N HCl within the first 15 min. Moreover, the dissolution studies in the simulated intestinal media ruled out the re-complexation potential between the drug and the polymer. The proposed X-SSG composition provides a desirable drug release in the gastric and intestinal media under the legitimate use while deterring an intravenous abuse.