The role of pH and dose/solubility ratio on cocrystal dissolution, drug supersaturation and precipitation

A biopharmaceutics drug classification scheme for correlating in vitro drug product dissolution and in vivo bioavailability is proposed based on recognizing that drug dissolution and gastrointestinal permeability are the fundamental parameters controlling rate and extent of drug absorption. This analysis uses a transport model and human permeability results for estimating in vivo drug absorption to illustrate the primary importance of solubility and permeability on drug absorption. The fundamental parameters which define oral drug absorption in humans resulting from this analysis are discussed and used as a basis for this classification scheme. These Biopharmaceutic Drug Classes are defined as: Case 1. High solubility-high permeability drugs, Case 2. Low solubility-high permeability drugs, Case 3. High solubility-low permeability drugs, and Case 4. Low solubility-low permeability drugs. Based on this classification scheme, suggestions are made for setting standards for in vitro drug dissolution testing methodology which will correlate with the in vivo process. This methodology must be based on the physiological and physical chemical properties controlling drug absorption. This analysis points out conditions under which no in vitro-in vivo correlation may be expected e.g. rapidly dissolving low permeability drugs. Furthermore, it is suggested for example that for very rapidly dissolving high solubility drugs, e.g. 85% dissolution in less than 15 minutes, a simple one point dissolution test, is all that may be needed to insure bioavailability. For slowly dissolving drugs a dissolution profile is required with multiple time points in systems which would include low pH, physiological pH, and surfactants and the in vitro conditions should mimic the in vivo processes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Salt formation is the most common and effective method of increasing solubility and dissolution rates of acidic and basic drugs. In this article, physicochemical principles of salt solubility are presented, with special reference to the influence of pH-solubility profiles of acidic and basic drugs on salt formation and dissolution. Non-ideality of salt solubility due to self-association in solution is also discussed. Whether certain acidic or basic drugs would form salts and, if salts are formed, how easily they would dissociate back into their free acid or base forms depend on interrelationships of several factors, such as S0 (intrinsic solubility), pH, pKa, Ksp (solubility product) and pHmax (pH of maximum solubility). The interrelationships of these factors are elaborated and their influence on salt screening and the selection of optimal salt forms for development are discussed. Factors influencing salt dissolution under various pH conditions, and especially in reactive media and in presence of excess common ions, are discussed, with practical reference to the development of solid dosage forms.