Nanocrystals: From Raw Material to the Final Formulated Oral Dosage Form - A Review

Many new developed drug actives are poorly soluble, therefore the need to increase the solubility of these actives arises. Nanosuspensions are fast and easy to produce, enhance the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs and feature many beneficial characteristics. However, nanocrystals in suspension form are physically metastable. Furthermore, the application of nanocrystal suspensions has no retarding effects. To overcome long term stability issues and open up a variety of options for controlled release, nanocrystals can be converted into solid dosage forms by different methods with different outcomes and features. Transformation of nanosuspensions into solid dosage forms opens up manifold options for the development of dosage forms with tailor-made drug release profiles. This review focuses on nanocrystal properties, established and new production techniques, as well as state of the art techniques for transformation of nanosuspensions into solid dosage forms. Nanocrystal technology is already today used in several solid products and holds great potential for future uses.