Alternative Technologies to Improve Solubility of Poorly Water Soluble Drugs

The solubility behaviour of drugs remains one of the most challenging aspects in formulation development. Solid dispersions (SD) and inclusion complexes (IC) are two of the most promising strategies to improve the oral bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. By reducing drug particle size to the absolute minimum, and hence improving drug wettability, bioavailability may be significantly improved. The basis for this popularity from a pharmaceutical standpoint, is the ability of these materials to interact with poorly water-soluble drugs and drug candidates resulting in an increase in their apparent water solubility. This review is intended to give a general background to the use of cyclodextrins (CD) and solid dispersions as alternative technologies in the study of drug solubilization.