DSC analysis of the anti-HIV agent loviride as a preformulation tool in the development of hot-melt extrudates

Thermal analysis was performed on the anti-HIV agent loviride in order to test its suitability to be processed using hot-melt extrusion. Temperature characteristic parameters of crystallization were determined to quantify the stability of amorphous loviride. The present study has shown that cooling and heating loviride at different rates influenced its thermal stability. At high cooling rates melted loviride did not crystallize during cooling, and formed a glass that recrystallized during reheating. Very low cooling rates resulted in significant decomposition of the drug. The glass transition temperature was found to increase as a function of increasing heating rates and the activation energy for the transition from the glassy to the super-cooled liquid state was relatively high, indicating good stability of the glass. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.