Remdesivir interactions with sulphobutylether-β-cyclodextrins: A case study using selected substitution patterns.

[Display omitted] • The formulation of remdesivir includes a cyclodextrin, SBE-β-CD as an excipient. • The impact of SBE position and number is studied using ITC and MD simulations. • Remdesivir protonation affects to the affinity between the drug and the excipient. • Formulations can be optimized enriching excipients with the more active fractions. Modified cyclodextrins (CDs) consist of a distribution of different structures with different number and location of the substituted groups. Among the most important applications of these molecules is their use as an enabling excipient in pharmaceutical formulations to provide the necessary solubility, stability and bioavailability for a drug to be effectively used. The most typical interaction mechanism of small molecular groups with CDs is the formation of host–guest inclusion complexes. The thermodynamic affinity constant between CDs and drugs should not be too strong, since then the biological activity could be negated by the formation of the complex. In the opposite scenario, if the affinity constant is too weak, the complex is barely formed and the amount of CD required in the formulation may become too great. Thus, a balance between the affinity of the CD and the drug is necessary for an optimal formulation. Additionally in the case of modified CDs and specific drug complexes there are further questions concerning the effect that the locations and number of substitutions plays in complexation. In the present work, this question is explored by using sulphobutylether-β-cyclodextrin and remdesivir, the only antiviral medication currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating COVID-19, as a case study. This paper presents results from an orthogonal study using isothermal titration calorimetry measurements and biased molecular dynamics simulations that provide complementary information. Isothermal titration calorimetry delves into the global impact of the species distribution while molecular dynamics simulations deals with specific chemical structures. The goal is to provide useful information to optimize pharmaceutical formulations based on modified CDs, specifically in the case of remdesivir, used to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection, although the main conclusions could be extended to the interaction of other drugs with modified cyclodextrins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]