ENHANCEMENT OF SOLUBILITY AND DISSOLUTION RATE OF EFAVIRENZ EMPLOYING βCD , LUTROL, POLOXAMER AND GELUCIRE ALONE AND IN COMBINATION

Efavirenz, a widely prescribed anti-retroviral drug belongs to class-II under BCS and exhibit low and variable oral bioavailability due to its poor aqueous solubility. As such it needs enhancement in the solubility and dissolution rate in its formulation development to derive its maximum therapeutic efficacy. The objective of the present study is enhancement of solubility and dissolution rate of efavirenz employing βCD and three surfactants namely (i) Lutrol 400, (ii) Poloxamer 188 and (iii) Gelucire 44/12 alone and in combination. The individual and combined effects of βCD and surfactant in enhancing the solubility and dissolution rate of efavirenz in each case were evaluated in a series of 2 2 -factorial studies. A comparative evaluation of the effects of βCD and the three surfactants alone and in combination in enhancing the solubility and dissolution rate of efavirenz was made. Among the βCD and three surfactants alone, Gelucire 44/12 gave highest enhancement in aqueous solubility of efavirenz (3.57 fold). The order of increasing solubility observed with βCD and various surfactants alone was Gelucire > Poloamer > βCD > Lutrol. In the case of βCD- surfactant combinations, βCD-Gelucire gave 4.14 fold, βCDPoloxamer gave 3.29 fold and βCD- Lutrol gave 0.63 fold increase in the aqueous solubility of efavirenz. Among the βCD and the three surfactants alone, Lutrol gave highest enhancement in the dissolution rate of efavirenz. The order of increasing dissolution rate observed with βCD and various surfactants was Lutrol > βCD > Gelucire > Poloxamer. In the case of βCD- surfactant complexes, βCD- Lutrol gave 6.91 fold, βCD-Gelucire gave 3.05 fold and βCD- Poloxamer gave 2.68 fold increase in the dissolution rate of efavirenz. The dissolution efficiency (DE20) was also higher in case of βCD- surfactant complexes when