unless otherwise defined herein , scientific and technical terms used in connection with the present invention shall have the meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art . the meaning and scope of the terms should be clear ; however , in the event of any latent ambiguity , definitions provided herein take precedence over any dictionary or extrinsic definition . unless otherwise required by context , singular terms shall include the plural and plural terms shall include the singular . the present invention provides an orally administered pharmaceutical composition that improves the solubility and bioavailability of lipophilic drugs , which comprises a pharmaceutically effective amount of a lipophilic drug , a hydrophilic solvent carrier , and a surfactant , wherein the hlb value of said composition ranges from about 8 to about 15 . when the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention comes into contact with the gastrointestinal fluid , it spontaneously emulsifies forming micromicelles with the drug contained therein in the absence of the easily oxidized oil phase used in the conventional oil - rich part of the ternary system to form emulsions / microemulsions . for example , the oil phase may be olive oil , corn oil , soybean oil , canola oil , sunflower oil , or medium chain triglyceride oil . the term “ therapeutically effective amount ” should be understood as meaning a dose of the drug effective in exerting a therapeutic effect . for an oral preparation of the invention , the term “ therapeutically effective amount ” means a dose of the drug which , after absorption into the body through the walls of gi tract , yields a drug concentration in the blood effective in exerting a therapeutic effect on a target organ . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the amounts of the drug presented in the composition vary with the particular situation , including but not limited to , the mode of administration , the size , age and condition of the subject and the like . moreover , these effective amounts can be easily determined by the physician without undue experimentation . it is preferred that the drug is present in amounts ranging from about 0 . 1 % to about 50 % by weight of the composition and more preferably in an amount ranging from about 1 % to about 40 % by weight . according to the present invention , the lipophilic drugs include , but are not limited to , immune drugs , anti - infection drugs , anti - hypertensive drugs , blood lipid - lowering drugs , antacids , anti - inflammatory substances , coronary vasodilators , cerebral vasodilators , psychotropics , anti - neoplastics , stimulants , anti - histamines , laxatives , decongestants , vitamins , gastrointestinals , anti - diarrheal preparations , anti - anginal drugs , vasodilators , anti - arrythmics , anti - migraine drugs , anti - coagulants and anti - thrombotic drugs , analgesics , anti - pyretics , hypnotics , sedatives , anti - emetics , anti - nauseants , anti - convulsants , anti - epileptics , neuromuscular drugs , drugs acting on the cns ( central nervous system ), hyper - and hypoglycemic agents , thyroid and anti - thyroid preparations , diuretics , anti - spasmodics , uterine relaxants , mineral and nutritional additives , anti - obesity drugs , anabolic drugs , anti - asmatics , expectorants , cough drugs or substants acting locally in the mouth , or combination thereof and the like . the composition of the invention may contain a combination of more than one active ingredient . the preferred embodiments of the drug are cyclosporine , tacrolimus , ibuprofen , ketoprofen , nifedipine , amlodipine , and simvastatin . the hydrophilic carrier used in the present invention must be non - toxic and well tolerated physiologically . in addition , the carrier should allow the incorporation of the drug into the carrier . according to the present invention , the hydrophilic carrier includes , but is not limited to , ethanol , isopropanol , propylene glycol , and polyethylene glycol ( such as peg200 , peg300 , peg400 , peg600 , peg1000 , peg2000 , peg3000 , peg4000 , peg6000 , or peg8000 ). any of the above - mentioned carriers can be used alone or in combination with one or more carriers . in the composition of the present invention , it is preferred that the carrier is present in amounts ranging from about 1 % to about 30 % by weight of the composition and more preferably in an amount ranging from about 2 % to about 20 % by weight . the surfactant used in the present invention may be any of those known in the art , which includes , but is not limited to , cationic surfactants , anionic surfactants , and nonionic surfactants . the surfactant used in the present invention should possess an hlb ( hydrophilic lipophilic balance ) value of greater than about 2 according to the hlb system which is well known to those skilled in the art . the hlb value provides a means for ranking surfactants according to the balance between the hydrophilic and lipophilic portions of the surfactant agent . that is , the higher the hlb value , the more hydrophilic the surfactant agent . typically , the surfactant used in the present invention has a hlb value ranging from about 2 to about 18 . the preferred embodiments of the surfactant are peg 40 hydrogenated castor oil , polysorbate , cocamidopropyl betaine , glyceryl cocoate , peg 6 caprylic / capric glycerides , poloxmer , labrafil m1944cs , labrafil m2125cs , labrasol , cremophor el , cremophor rh , brij , and spans . any of the above - mentioned surfactants can be used alone or in combination with one or more surfactants . in the composition of the present invention , it is preferred that the surfactant is present in amounts ranging from about 10 % to about 90 % by weight of the composition and more preferably in an amount ranging from about 20 % to about 85 % by weight . an essential aspect of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is that it forms an emulsion / microemulsion when placed in contact with an aqueous solution , e . g ., gastrointestinal fluid . the microemulsion thus formed is thermodynamically stable when it comes into contact with the gastrointestinal fluids of mammals . however , until the composition comes into contact with the gastrointestinal fluid , it is not an emulsion / microemulsion . if an emulsion / microemulsion is formed , it consists of substantially uniform and spherical droplets . the particle size of the droplets in the present microemulsion is less than about 800 nm , preferably about 10 nm to about 800 nm . the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can be prepared by mixing the lipophilic drug , the hydrophilic carrier and the surfactant by agitation . preferably , one or more surfactants are mixed , and one or more hydrophilic carriers are further added to the above mixture in a beaker or flask at room temperature by a magnetic stir or agitator to obtain a homogeneous solution . one or more drugs are then added and followed by further agitation until a clear solution is obtained so as to form a mixture having a hlb value that ranges between about 8 and about 15 . note that incorporation of air into the solution while mixing should be avoided . for oral administration of the composition having the lipophilic drug , the composition is preferably encapsulated in a sealed soft or hard capsule . the capsule is typically of a kind which is dissolved in a particular region of the gi tract releasing its content there . an example of such a capsule is an enterice - coated soft or hard gelatin capsule . enteric coating , as known per se , is coating with a substance or a combination of substances that resists dissolution in gastric fluid but disintegrates in the intestine . the present invention is explained in greater detail in the following non - limiting analytical methods and results obtained therefrom : cyclosporine was added into and mixed with tween80 and ethanol , and the mixtures were agitated until clear solutions were obtained . the formulations f ( i )- 1 and f ( i )- 2 obtained have the hlb values of 14 . 0 and 13 . 9 , respectively . 975 . 6 mg and 999 mg respectively of the clear solutions of the two formulations were filled into capsules for further tests . cyclosporine was added into and mixed with labrasol and ethanol , and the mixture was agitated until a clear solution was obtained . the formulation f ( i )- 3 obtained has the hlb values of 13 . 1 . 975 mg of the clear solution of the formulation were filled into capsules for further tests . cyclosporine was added into and mixed with labrafil m2125cs , tween80 and ethanol , and the mixtures were agitated until clear solutions were obtained . the formulations f ( ii )- 1 , f ( ii )- 2 and f ( ii )- 3 obtained have the hlb values of 13 . 1 , 12 . 2 , and 11 . 3 , respectively . 1060 mg , 1165 mg , and 1300 mg respectively of the clear solutions of the three formulations were filled into capsules for further tests . cyclosporine was added into and mixed with propylene glycol , tween80 and ethanol , and the mixtures were agitated until clear solutions were obtained . the formulations f ( iii )- 1 , f ( iii )- 2 and f ( iii )- 3 obtained have the hlb values of 13 . 0 , 12 . 4 , and 12 . 0 , respectively . 1165 mg , 1300 mg , and 1430 mg respectively of the clear solutions of the three formulations were filled into capsules for further tests . cyclosporine was added into and mixed with labrafil m1944cs , tween80 and ethanol , and the mixtures were agitated until clear solutions were obtained . the formulations f ( iv )- 1 , f ( iv )- 2 and f ( iv )- 3 obtained have the hlb values of 13 . 1 , 12 . 2 , and 11 . 3 , respectively . 1060 mg , 1165 mg , and 1300 mg respectively of the clear solutions of the three formulations were filled into capsules for further tests . cyclosporine was added into and mixed with labrafil m1944cs , tween80 and ethanol , and the mixtures were agitated until clear solutions were obtained . the formulations f ( v )- 1 , f ( v )- 2 and f ( v )- 3 obtained have the hlb values of 13 . 6 , 12 . 2 , and 11 . 3 , respectively . 1011 . 5 mg , 1050 mg , and 1049 . 5 mg respectively of the clear solutions of the three formulations were filled into capsules for further tests . tacrolimus was added into and mixed with labrafil m1944cs , tween80 and ethanol , and the mixture was agitated until a clear solution was obtained . the formulation tacrolimus f ( i ) obtained has the hlb values of 11 . 3 . 70 mg of the clear solution of the formulation were filled into capsules for further tests . tacrolimus was added into and mixed with tween80 and ethanol , and the mixture was agitated until a clear solution was obtained . the formulation tacrolimus f ( ii ) obtained has the hlb values of 14 . 1 . 350 mg of the clear solution of the formulation were filled into capsules for further tests . ketoprofen was added into and mixed with tween80 and ethanol , and the mixture was agitated until a clear solution was obtained . the formulation ketoprofen obtained has the hlb values of 14 . 976 mg of the clear solution of the formulation were filled into capsules for further tests . medium : 500 ml of 0 . 1n hcl solution were prepared by adding 8 . 5 ml of 37 % concentrated hcl into 900 ml of distilled water followed by homogeneously agitating and mixing the solution and bringing it up the total volume to 1 l . sampling time ( min ): 7 , 15 , 30 , 45 , 60 , 90 , and 120 i . 500 ml of 0 . 1n hcl solution were poured into each of the 6 dissolution vessel to be preheated . the temperature of the water bath chamber was maintained at 37 + 0 . 5 ° c . and the agitation equipment of the dissolution tester was set up according to one &# 39 ; s needs . ii . the temperature of the dissolution medium was measured by a thermometer . the dissolution test was conducted once the temperature reached 37 + 0 . 5 ° c . iii . one capsule of each formulation was dropped into a dissolution vessel . iv . the samples at the following time points : 7 min , 15 min , 30 min , 45 min , 60 min , 90 min , and 120 min were collected . v . the samples were filtrated with filters made of pvdf with a pore size of 0 . 45 μm , and then the drug concentration of the samples was measured by hplc . the hplc measurement was conducted with the following equipment and conditions : i . mobile phase : a mixture of distilled water : acetonitrile : methyl tert - butyl ether : phosphoric acid ( v / v / v / v )= 440 : 510 : 45 : 1 was prepared . the mixture was filtrated with a filter made of nylon 66 with a pore size of 0 . 45 μm . the mixture was sonicated for at least 30 minutes by an ultrasonic sonicator so as to remove the gas contained in the liquid . ii . pump ( pump l - 7100 , hitachi , japan )— flow rate : 1 . 5 ml / min iii . detector ( uv detector l - 7400 , hitachi , japan )— wavelength : 210 - nm iv . the sample vials were positioned on the sample rack of the autosampler ( autosampler l - 7200 , hitachi , japan ) and the injection volume was set to 20 μl . v . column : 4 . 6 - mm × 250 cm column that contains usp packing l1 . vi . column temperature : the column was placed in a column oven of 80 ° c . as the results of the dissolution test in fig1 to 5 show , the drugs contained in the pharmaceutical products prepared according to the invention can be efficiently dissolved and released therefrom , and the dissolution can be controlled by adjusting the hlb value of the drug delivery system . the particle size of the microemulsions formed by the formulations of examples 3 to 8 in the 0 . 1 n hcl solution ( an artificial gastric fluid ) was measured by the following procedures : i . 500 ml of 0 . 1 n hcl ( the dissolution medium ) were poured into the dissolution vessel and heated to 37 ° c . ii . once the temperature reached 37 ° c ., 1 ml of the solution of each formulation was added into the dissolution vessel . iii . the mixture was agitated by paddle at 50 rpm for 30 minutes . iv . about 3 ml of the mixture were taken and added into a sample cuvette , and then the particle sizes of the microemulsions formed were measured in a dynamic light scattering ( zetasizer 3000 , malvern inst ., uk ) by following the instructions given in the manuals provided by the manufacturer . the resulting of particle sizes of the microemulsions formed by the formulations of the present invention are shown in table 1 . as shown in table 1 , the cyclosporine formulations of example 1 , which have various ethanol ratios and a single surfactant , all spontaneously formed microemulsions in the artificial gastric fluid . the cyclosporine formulations of examples 4 and 6 , which have various species and ratios of surfactants and hlb values between 8 and 15 , are all capable of spontaneously forming microemulsions in the artificial gastric fluid . the formulations of examples 7 and 9 , which have various drugs , all exhibit good self - emulsion capability . the above results suggest that the drug delivery system of the present invention can be applied to various drugs or active ingredients . the particle size of the microemulsions formed by the formulations of examples 3 to 8 in the 0 . 1 n hcl solution ( an artificial gastric fluid ) was measured by the following procedures : the stability test was conducted according to the ich guidelines . the capsules filled with f ( v )- 3 were individually placed in different thermohygrostats with three different temperatures and humidities , set to 25 ° c ./ 60 %+ 5 % rh , 30 ° c ./ 60 %+ 5 % rh , and 40 ° c ./ 75 %+ 5 % rh . the remaining contents of the major ingredients were analyzed according to the above hplc method after 0 , 2 and 3 months of storage . the results of the test are shown in table 2 . as shown in table 2 , the active ingredient in the pharmaceutical composition of the invention is very stable after long - term storage , even with a temperature of 40 ° c . the bioavailability test was performed in 3 healthy young male volunteers for each of the cyclosporine drugs containing f ( i )- 1 ( hard capsule ), f ( i )- 1 ( soft capsule ) and f ( v )- 3 . after an overnight fast , a single dose of the test formulations was administered to the volunteers , and the blood samples of the subjects were collected before the dose , ( 0 h ) and at 0 . 5 h , 1 h , 1 . 33 h , 1 . 67 h , 2 h , 2 . 5 h , 3 h , 4 h , 6 h , 9 h , 12 h and 24 h after drug administration . plasma concentrations of cyclosporine were determined by high - performance liquid chromatography with mass detection ( lc - mass ). fig6 reveals that all the cyclosporine formulations ( i )- 1 and ( v )- 3 have a good oral bioavailability of cyclosporine in humans .
the invention pertains to a self - emulsifying pharmaceutical composition containing a lipophilic drug , a surfactant , and a hydrophilic carrier . the invention also provides a method for making the pharmaceutical composition for increasing the bioavailability of a drug by self - emulsification .