Abstract
Amorphous pharmaceuticals often suffer from poor physical stability, which can negate
their high solubility, fast dissolution rate, and better oral bioavailability vs.
crystalline forms. This represents a major hurdle to processing, storage, and delivery
of amorphous pharmaceuticals. Several approaches to addressing these problems have
been pursued, but there is still a need for a general method for stabilizing the amorphous
form. We describe a novel approach using a water-unstable metal-organic framework
as a drug delivery vehicle that demonstrates improved amorphous form stability accompanied
by remarkably enhanced solubility and a fast dissolution rate. This research project
spanned eleven years from conception to realization and dissemination. With origins
in understanding the stability or porous solids for energy storage materials, the
work also highlights potential of basic science understanding to illuminate new areas
of application.
Key words
pharmaceuticals - amorphous form - metal-organic frameworks - stability - solubility
and dissolution rate