Selecting the optimal solid form of an API during early drug development can mitigate the risk of failure later in development. This can be achieved through salt, cocrystal and polymorph screening.
- Salt screening is an approach to quickly identify and assess the salt forms of an API. This allows drug developers to modify the physical properties of an API while preserving the benefits of a crystalline solid form.
- Cocrystal screening can identify and assess the potential cocrystal forms of an API. It provides an alternative approach to modify the physical properties of an API where salts do not achieve the desired performance or are not an option.
- Polymorph screening aims to identify all relevant forms of an API, investigate their properties and choose the optimal crystalline form. Polymorph screening is a regulatory requirement whether a salt, cocrystal or free form compound is chosen for development.
