Ali Tabatabaeian Nimavardi

Dr. Ali Tabatabaeian Nimavardi


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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15 October 2026 in Pharmaceutics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KMKyprianos Michailides
Kyprianos Michailides
ANAli Tabatabaeian Nimavardi
Ali Tabatabaeian Nimavardi
SCsiri kalyan chirumamilla
siri kalyan chirumamilla
DTDavid Turner
David Turner
Background/Objectives: Amorphous drug products are susceptible to crystallisation during manufacture or storage, which may alter dissolution and pharmacokinetics (PK). Tacrolimus, a low-solubility, high-permeability drug, relies on amorphous formulations to achieve adequate absorption, making crystallisation a key quality risk. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models with simultaneous tracking of amorphous and crystalline fractions as different solid states within the gut enable a mechanistic assessment of how crystallinity may influence PK and bioequivalence (BE) outcomes. Methods: A PBPK model incorporating mechanistic dissolution was developed to evaluate the impact of tacrolimus solid-state composition on BE. Model performance was verified against clinical PK data for formulations spanning a range of crystallinity levels. Virtual BE (VBE) assessments were conducted using two-way and fully replicated four-period crossover designs. Within-subject variability (WSV) was introduced mechanistically through physiological parameters. Results: The PBPK model adequately reproduced the crystallinity-dependent PK of tacrolimus observed in clinical studies. VBE simulations captured the reported trend of crystallinity-driven bioinequivalence, with increasing crystallinity primarily influencing Cmax and having a limited effect on AUC0–24h, suggesting a predominant impact on absorption rate. Model-based extrapolation beyond the clinically evaluated range indicated that crystallinity levels of 5–15% may be associated with a higher likelihood of meeting BE criteria under a fully replicated four-period crossover design. Conclusions: Mechanistic PBPK modelling enabled extrapolation beyond clinically tested crystallinity levels by linking solid-state behaviour to in vivo performance. This approach can complement experimental evidence and support BE assessment and risk evaluation during formulation development, clinical evaluation, and post-approval change management.