DefinePK

Abstract

Sunitinib is a poorly water-soluble, multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor used in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). Enhancing its solubility and dissolution is crucial for improving bioavailability. This study explores the solid dispersion technique as an effective approach for solubility enhancement. Solid dispersions of Sunitinib were prepared using the solvent evaporation method with hydrophilic carriers PVP K-30 and urea in different drug-to-carrier ratios. The formulations were evaluated through solubility studies, in vitro dissolution, and drug release kinetics. UV spectrophotometric analysis showed maximum absorbance at 457 nm, confirming suitability for quantitative determination. Among the formulations, the dispersion containing Sunitinib and urea in a 1:2 ratio F4 exhibited the highest drug release (249.38 µg/ml in 90 minutes), with the drug release following first-order kinetics. From the observation, urea proved more convenient for enhancing the solubility of Sunitinib. The results indicate that solid dispersion with appropriate carriers significantly improves dissolution behaviour. This study confirms that solid dispersion is a promising strategy to improve the aqueous solubility of hydrophobic drugs like Sunitinib, thereby enhancing their therapeutic efficacy and bioavailability.