Lyophilization as a Method for Stabilizing Pharmaceuticals

Lyophilization (freeze drying) is among the most effective methods used to stabilize drugs and increase their shelf life. It is influenced by many factors, the most important of which are the properties of the parent drug substance and the excipients and the freezing and drying conditions. This review considers in detail the excipients used in lyophilized dosage forms and gives examples of sublimation regimes used for the lyophilization of some antitumor drugs.