Supercritical fluid technologies: An innovative approach for manipulating the solid-state of pharmaceuticals

Solid-state, crystallographic purity and careful monitoring of the polymorphism of drugs and excipients are currently an integral part of the development of modem drug delivery systems. The reproducible preparation of organic crystals in a specific form and size is a major issue that must be addressed. A recent approach for obtaining pharmaceutical materials in pure physical form is represented by the technologies based on supercritical fluids. The present work aims to provide a critical review of the recent advances in the use of supercritical fluids for the preparation and control of the specific physical form of pharmaceutical substances with particular attention to those fluids used for drug delivery systems. These innovative technologies are highly promising for future application in particle design and engineering. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.