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Abstract
The solubility behaviour of drugs remains one of the most challenging aspects in formulation
development. With the advent of combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening,
the number of poorly water soluble compounds has dramatically increased. Although
solid solutions have tremendous potential for improving drug solubility, 40 years
of research have resulted in only a few marketed products using this approach. With
the introduction of new manufacturing technologies such as hot melt extrusion, it
should be possible to overcome problems in scale-up and for this reason solid solutions
are enjoying a renaissance. This article begins with an overview of the historical
background and definitions of the various systems including eutectic mixtures, solid
dispersions and solid solutions. The remainder of the article is devoted to the production,
the different carriers and the methods used for the characterization of solid dispersions.