Design of Montelukast Nanocrystalline Suspension for Parenteral Prolonged Delivery

BACKGROUND: Montelukast (MTK), a representative leukotriene receptor antagonist, is currently being investigated as a potential candidate for treating Alzheimer’s disease. For potent and effective dosing in elderly patients, a parenteral prolonged delivery system is favored, with improved medication adherence with reduced dosage frequency. PURPOSE: This study aimed to design a nanocrystalline suspension (NS)-based MTK prolonged delivery system and evaluate its pharmacokinetics profile and local tolerability following subcutaneous administration. METHODS: To decelerate the dissolution rate, the amorphous MTK raw material was transformed into a crystalline state using a solvent-mediated transformation method and subsequently formulated into NS using a bead-milling technique. The MTK NSs were characterized by morphology, particle size, crystallinity, and in vitro dissolution profiles. The pharmacokinetic profile and local tolerability at the injection site following subcutaneous injection of MTK suspension were evaluated in rats. RESULTS: Microscopic and physical characterization revealed that the amorphous MTK powder was lucratively transformed into a crystalline form in acidic media (pH 4). MTK crystalline suspensions with different diameters (200 nm, 500 nm, and 3 μm) were uniformly prepared using bead-milling technology, employing polysorbate 80 as suspending agent. Prepared crystalline suspensions exhibited analogous crystallinity (melting point, 150°C) and size-dependent in vitro dissolution profiles. MTK NSs with particle sizes of 200 nm and 500 nm provided a protracted pharmacokinetic profile for up to 4 weeks in rats, with a higher maximum drug concentration in plasma than the 3 μm-sized injectable suspensions. Histopathological examination revealed that MTK NS caused chronic granulomatous inflammation at the injection site, which resolved after 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: The MTK parenteral NS delivery system is expected to be a valuable tool for treating Alzheimer’s disease with extended dose intervals.