Amorphous solid dispersion drug delivery systems (ASD DDS) were proved to be efficient for the enhancement of solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. One of the major keys for successful preparation of ASD is the selection of appropriate excipients, mostly polymers, which have a crucial role in improving drug solubility and its physical stability. Even though, excipients should be chemically inert, there is some evidence that polymers can affect the thermal stability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The thermal stability of a drug is closely related to the shelf-life of pharmaceutical products and therefore it is a matter of high pharmaceutical relevance. An overview of thermal stability of amorphous solids is provided in this paper. Evaluation of thermal stability of amorphous solid dispersion is perceived from the physicochemical perspective, from a kinetic (motions) and thermodynamic (energy) point of view, focusing on activation energy and fragility, as well all other relevant parameters for ASD design, with a glance on computational kinetic analysis of solid-state decomposition.

This study aimed to investigate the biofilm-production ability of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), the biofilm-eradication potential of 70% ethanol and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, the effects of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) against planktonic and biofilm-embedded CRAB, and the relationship between biofilm production and bacterial genotypes. A total of 111 CRAB isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, biofilm formation, presence of the genes encoding carbapenemases, and biofilm-associated virulence factors. The antibiofilm effects of disinfectants and SeNPs against CRAB isolates were also tested. The vast majority of the tested isolates were biofilm producers (91.9%). The bap, ompA, and csuE genes were found in 57%, 70%, and 76% of the CRAB isolates, with the csuE being significantly more common among biofilm producers (78.6%) compared to non-biofilm-producing CRAB (25%). The tested disinfectants showed a better antibiofilm effect on moderate and strong biofilm producers than on weak producers (p < 0.01). The SeNPs showed an inhibitory effect against all tested planktonic (MIC range: 0.00015 to >1.25 mg/mL) and biofilm-embedded CRAB, with a minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration of less than 0.15 mg/mL for 90% of biofilm producers. In conclusion, SeNPs might be used as promising therapeutic and medical device coating agents, thus serving as an alternative approach for the prevention of biofilm-related infections.

Ambroxol hydrochloride (AMB), used as a broncho secretolytic and an expectorant drug, is a semi-synthetic derivative of vasicine obtained from the Indian shrub Adhatoda vasica. It is a metabolic product of bromhexine. The paper provides comprehensive and detailed research on ambroxol hydrochloride, gives information on thermal stability, the mechanism of AMB degradation, and data of practical interest for optimization of formulation that contains AMB as an active compound. Investigation on pure AMB and in commercial formulation Flavamed^® tablet (FT), which contains AMB as an active compound, was performed systematically using thermal and spectroscopic methods, along with a sophisticated and practical statistical approach. AMB proved to be a heat-stable and humidity-sensitive drug. For its successful formulation, special attention should be addressed to excipients since it was found that polyvinyl pyrrolidone and Mg stearate affect the thermal stability of AMB. At the same time, lactose monohydrate contributes to faster degradation of AMB and change in decomposition mechanism. It was found that the n-th order kinetic model mechanistically best describes the decomposition process of pure AMB and in Flavamed^® tablets.