Details for Patent: 8,901,303

Title:	Low hygroscopic aripiprazole drug substance and processes for the preparation thereof
Abstract:	The present invention provides low hygroscopic forms of aripiprazole and processes for the preparation thereof which will not convert to a hydrate or lose their original solubility even when a medicinal preparation containing the anhydrous Aripiprazole crystals is stored for an extended period.
Inventor(s):	Bando; Takuji (Tokushima, JP), Aoki; Satoshi (Naruto, JP), Kawasaki; Junichi (Itano-gun, JP), Ishigami; Makoto (Itano-gun, JP), Taniguchi; Youichi (Tokushima, JP), Yabuuchi; Tsuyoshi (Tokushima, JP), Fujimoto; Kiyoshi (Naruto, JP), Nishioka; Yoshihiro (Itano-gun, JP), Kobayashi; Noriyuki (Tokushima, JP), Fujimura; Tsutomu (Naruto, JP), Takahashi; Masanori (Tokushima, JP), Abe; Kaoru (Tokushima, JP), Nakagawa; Tomonori (Itano-gun, JP), Shinhama; Koichi (Tokushima, JP), Utsumi; Naoto (Naruto, JP), Tominaga; Michiaki (Itano-gun, JP), Ooi; Yoshihiro (Tokushima, JP), Yamada; Shohei (Itano-gun, JP), Tomikawa; Kenji (Tokushima, JO)
Assignee:	Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)
Filing Date:	Jun 29, 2011
Application Number:	13/067,838
Claims:	1. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating anhydrous aripiprazole crystals and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said crystals have low hygroscopicity, wherein said low hygroscopicity is defined as a moisture content of 0.40% or less after placing said for 24 hours in a desiccator maintained at a temperature of 60.degree. C. and a humidity level of 100% and one or more of the properties chosen from: a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum comprising characteristic peaks at 2.theta.=11.0.degree., 16.6.degree., 19.3.degree., 20.3.degree., and 22.1.degree. using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray; an infrared absorption spectrum comprising infrared absorption bands at 2945, 2812, 1678, 1627, 1448, 1377, 1173, 960, and 779 cm.sup.-1 on the IR (KBr) spectrum; an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 141.5.degree. C. in a thermogravimetric or differential thermal analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min); an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 140.7.degree. C. in differential scanning calorimetry analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min); and a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 2. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating anhydrous aripiprazole crystals and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said crystals have low hygroscopicity, wherein said low hygroscopicity is defined as a moisture content of 0.10% or less after placing said crystals for 24 hours in a desiccator maintained at a temperature of 60.degree. C. and a humidity level of 100% and one or more of the properties chosen from: a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum comprising characteristic peaks at 2.theta.=11.0.degree., 6.6.degree., 19.3.degree., 20.3.degree., and 22.1.degree. using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray; an infrared absorption spectrum comprising infrared absorption bands at 2945, 2812, 1678, 1627, 1448, 1377, 1173, 960, and 779 cm.sup.-1 on the IR (KBr) spectrum; an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 141.5.degree. C. in a thermogravimetric or differential thermal analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min); an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 140.7.degree. C. in differential scanning calorimetry analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./resin); and a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 3. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating anhydrous aripiprazole crystals having a melting point of 139.0 to 139.5.degree. C. and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again. 4. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating aripiprazole hydrate crystals and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said crystals have one or more properties chosen from: a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum comprising characteristic peaks at 2.theta.=12.6.degree., 15.1.degree., 17.4.degree., 18.2.degree., 18.7.degree., 24.8.degree. and 27.5.degree. using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray; and an endothermic curve comprising endothermic peaks at 75.0.degree. C., 123.5.degree. C. and 140.5.degree. C. in a thermogravimetric or differential thermal analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min). 5. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating Anhydrous Aripiprazole Crystals B and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said Crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said Crystals have low hygroscopicity, wherein said low hygroscopicity is defined as a moisture content of 0.40% or less after placing said drug substance crystals for 24 hours in a desiccator maintained at a temperature of 60.degree. C. and a humidity level of 100%. 6. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating Anhydrous Aripiprazole Crystals B and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said Crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said Crystals have low hygroscopicity, wherein said low hygroscopicity is defined as a moisture content of 0.10% or less after placing said drug substance crystals for 24 hours in a desiccator maintained at a temperature of 60.degree. C. and a humidity level of 100%. 7. The process according to claim 5, wherein said Crystals have a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 8. The process according to claim 6, wherein said Crystals have a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 9. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating anhydrous aripiprazole crystals and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said crystals have low hygroscopicity, wherein said low hygroscopicity is defined as a moisture content of 0.40% or less after placing said crystals for 24 hours in a desiccator maintained at a temperature of 60.degree. C. and a humidity level of 100% and one or more of the properties chosen from: a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum which is substantially the same as the powder x-ray diffraction spectrum shown in FIG. 5 using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray; an infrared absorption spectrum comprising infrared absorption bands at 2945, 2812, 1678, 1627, 1448, 1377, 1173, 960, and 779 cm.sup.-1 on the IR (KBr) spectrum; an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 141.5.degree. C. in a thermogravimetric or differential thermal analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min); an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 140.7.degree. C. in differential scanning calorimetry analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min); and a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 10. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating anhydrous aripiprazole crystals and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said crystals have low hygroscopicity, wherein said low hygroscopicity is defined as a moisture content of 0.10% or less after placing said crystals for 24 hours in a desiccator maintained at a temperature of 60.degree. C. and a humidity level of 100% and one or more of the properties chosen from: a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum which is substantially the same as the powder x-ray diffraction spectrum shown in FIG. 5 using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray; an infrared absorption spectrum comprising infrared absorption bands at 2945, 2812, 1678, 1627, 1448, 1377, 1173, 960, and 779 cm.sup.-1 on the IR (KBr) spectrum; an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 141.5.degree. C. in a thermogravimetric or differential thermal analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min); an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 140.7.degree. C. in differential scanning calorimetry analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min); and a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 11. The process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said crystals have a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum comprising characteristic peaks at 2.theta.=11.0.degree., 16.6, 19.3, 20.3.degree., and 22.1.degree. using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray. 12. The process according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said crystals have a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum which is substantially the same as the powder x-ray diffraction spectrum shown in FIG. 5 using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray. 13. The process according to any one of claim 1, 2, 9, or 10, wherein said crystals have an infrared absorption spectrum comprising infrared absorption bands at 2945, 2812, 1678, 1627, 1448, 1377, 1173, 960, and 779 cm.sup.-1 on the IR (KBr) spectrum. 14. The process according to any one of claim 1, 2, 9, or 10, wherein said crystals have an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 141.5.degree. C. in a thermogravimetric or differential thermal analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min). 15. The process according to any one of claim 1, 2, 9, or 10, wherein said crystals have an endothermic curve comprising an endothermic peak near about 140.7.degree. C. in differential scanning calorimetry analysis (heating rate 5.degree. C./min). 16. The process according to claim 1, wherein said crystals have a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 17. The process according to claim 2, wherein said crystals have a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 18. The process according to claim 9, wherein said crystals have a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 19. The process according to claim 10, wherein said crystals have a mean particle size of 50 .mu.m or less. 20. The process according to any one of claim 1, 2, 9, 10, or 16-19, wherein the mean particle size is measured using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer. 21. The process according to any one of claim 7 or 8, wherein the mean particle size is measured using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer. 22. The process according to claim 20, wherein the mean particle size is measured by suspending 0.1 g of said crystals in a 20 mL n-hexane solution of 0.5 g soy lecithin. 23. The process according to claim 21, wherein the mean particle size is measured by suspending 0.1 g of said Crystals in a 20 mL n-hexane solution of 0.5 g soy lecithin. 24. A process for the preparation of granules comprising wet granulating aripiprazole hydrate crystals and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to obtain granules of said crystals, drying the obtained granules at 70 to 100.degree. C., sizing the dried granules, and then drying the sized granules at 70 to 100.degree. C. for 1 to 6 hours again, wherein said crystals have one or more properties chosen from: a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum which is substantially the same as the powder x-ray diffraction spectrum in FIG. 7 using a Cu K.sub..alpha. x-ray; and an endothermic curve which is substantially the same as the endothermic curve shown in FIG. 6.