Comparative analysis of oral delivery systems for live rotavirus vaccines

In this paper a comparison of delivery systems for a live rotavirus vaccine is presented. The loss of infectivity was estimated during incorporation into the delivery systems, and during the subsequent processing steps in the preparation of poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres, alginate microcapsules, spray-coated non-pareil seeds, granules, and tablets. Incorporation of live rotavirus into DL-PLG microspheres or alginate microcapsules, as well as the application to the surface of non-pareil seeds resulted in a complete or significant loss of rotavirus infectivity. In contrast, stabilization of the rotavirus vaccine with an excipient blend of cellulose, starch, sucrose and gelatin (30:30:30:10), followed by incorporation into granules or tablets, produced outstanding results with only minimal losses of infectivity. Of these two delivery systems tablets produced better results. However, the dosage form must be modified into a formulation suitable for immunizing infants.