Drug microparticles

A pharmaceutical composition comprising microparticles of cyclosporin that have not been micronized by a mechanical process selected from high energy milling and high pressure homogenization, from which pharmaceutical composition at least about 9 weight-% of the cyclosporin of a sample of the composition comprising 10 mg of cyclosporin dissolves from the composition within about 30 minutes when dissolution is measured at 37° C. with an apparatus II dissolution tester as described in the United States Pharmacopoeia operating at about 100 RPM in a medium consisting essentially of 900 mL water.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising microparticles of cyclosporin obtained by sublimation of a sublimable carrier from a solid solution of cyclosporin in the sublimable carrier.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising pharmaceutical carrier particles consisting essentially of a non-hydrosoluble material and, deposited thereon, microparticles of cyclosporin that are obtained by sublimation of a sublimable carrier from a solid solution of cyclosporin in the sublimable carrier, wherein about 9 weight-% of the cyclosporin of a sample of the composition comprising 10 mg of cyclosporin dissolves from the composition within not more than about 30 minutes when dissolution is measured at 37° C. with an apparatus II dissolution tester as described in the United States Pharmacopoeia operating at about 100 RPM in a medium consisting essentially of 900 mL water.

A process for preparing a cyclosporin delivery vehicle comprising the steps of:

• a) forming a solid solution of cyclosporin and a sublimable carrier on the surface of a pharmaceutical carrier particle;
• and
• b) subliming the sublimable carrier from the solid solution to deposit microparticles of cyclosporin on the surface of the pharmaceutical carrier particle to obtain the cyclosporin delivery vehicle.