Abstract
Within this work, we develop vesicles incorporating sub-unit antigens as solid dosage forms suitable for the oral delivery of vaccines. Using a combination of trehalose, dextran and mannitol, freeze-dried oral disintegrating tablets were formed which upon rehydration release bilayer vesicles incorporating antigen. Initial studies focused on the optimisation of the freeze-dry cycle and subsequently excipient content was optimised by testing tablet hardness, disintegration time and moisture content. The use of 10% mannitol and 10% dextran produced durable tablets which offered strong resistance to mechanical damage yet appropriate disintegration times and dispersed to release niosomes-entrapping antigen. From these studies, we have formulated a bilayer vesicle vaccine delivery system as rapid disintegrating tablets and capsules.
a School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
b Variation Biotechnologies, 222 Third Street, Suite 2241, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
c Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2017.06.014