An Overview on Recent Patents and Technologies on Solid Dispersion

The oral bioavailability enhancement of poorly water-soluble medicaments is still one of the most complicated aspects of the formulation development. Various approaches are currently available for solubility and rate of dissolution enhancement such as salt formation, solubilization and reduction of particle size, each with its own limitations and advantages. Solid dispersion is one of the most suitable approaches for the formulation development of poorly water-soluble drugs. The popularity of solid dispersion is evident from the increasing number of patent applications and patents granted in this field during recent years. This article reviews the various approaches for the preparation of solid dispersion such as a solvent melting, hot-melt extrusion method, solvent evaporation method, cryogenic processing approaches etc. from the perspective of patents filed or granted for these techniques. Some of the aspects taken into account before the preparation of solid dispersions are carrier selection and physic-chemical testing along with an insight into the molecular arrangement of medicaments in solid dispersion. The manuscript further highlights various commercial patented technology platforms such as Solumer(tm), Hovione and Kinetisol which are based on the concept of solid dispersions.