Solid State in the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Brief Review

Most marketed pharmaceuticals consist of molecular crystals due to reasons of stability and ease handling during the development. Pharmaceutical solids can exist in the different forms. The arrangement of the molecules in a crystal determines its physical properties, influences the formulation, as well as dissolution rate and stability. Several examples are reported to demonstrate the importance of polymorphism in properties that can change the quality of the final product. A thorough understanding of the relationships between physical structures and the properties of pharmaceutical solids is therefore important in selecting the most suitable form. In this review, the different crystal forms of pharmaceuticals, the commonly used solid-state analytical techniques and advantages and disadvantages of each technique are discussed. In more detail, here is exposed the impact of solid forms in a galenic level.