Recent advances in the identification and prediction of polymorphs

Abstract

An increased understanding of the phenomenon of polymorphism should enable pharmaceutical scientists to gain control over the crystallization process in order to selectively obtain the desired polymorph or suppress the growth of an undesired one. Phase changes during processing and scale-up are a problem, which may be avoided by carefully designed initial small-scale studies. The availability of detailed structural data, combined with strategic design of substrates and additives, has led to significant advances in the control over the polymorphs obtained in a particular crystallization. With all the information available from these initial studies, it should be possible to design and to select processing conditions which would give a desired polymorph and maintain the desired form throughout the various stages of drug processing and manufacture.