Aqueous Solubility Enhancement Through Engineering of Binary Solid Composites: Pharmaceutical Applications

Limits to the aqueous solubility of emerging new chemical entities, as well as older drug molecules, represent a barrier to solid oral dosage form development. Numerous techniques are conventionally employed in aqueous solubility enhancement, although a universal strategy has proven elusive. Formation of binary solid composites, such as eutectics or amorphous solid dispersions, offers an alternative to traditional solubility enhancement techniques. The reality of these systems, however, is that very few examples have been made commercially available, ultimately stemming from a lack of understanding regarding structural and thermodynamic stability-indicating phenomena associated with higher-energy solid materials. In the present work, a comprehensive structurally based review of the fundamental solid-state properties of binary composite materials is presented. Specific emphasis is placed on current topics of research in the area of binary composite formation and the relationship to the underutilization of this technology with the pharmaceutical industry.