Solubilization of rapamycin

The solubilization of rapamycin, a poorly water soluble investigational immunosuppressive drug, by facilitated hydrotropy is presented. Partially water-miscible aromatic solutes (such as benzyl alcohol, benzoate, or benzoic acid) can be solubilized by water-miscible cosolvents, such as ethanol and propylene glycol. Once solubilized, the partially miscible aromatic solute becomes a solubilizing agent. This technique yielded a dramatic(> 1000-fold) increase in the aqueous solubility of rapamycin. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.