Cocrystals: An Emerging Approach to Modify Physicochemical Properties of Drugs

Pharmaceutical cocrystals represents a class of Pharmaceutical materials with definite stoichiometries often stabilized by hydrogen bonding, which have recently emerged as interesting alternative solid forms with potential for improving the physical and biopharmaceutical properties of a drug substance. Pharmaceutical cocrystal is crystalline nonionic supramolecular complexes of two one being neutral molecules or an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the other a cocrystal former. Cocrystal formation is studied in the development stage in order to solve an issue with solid form or formulation or to expand intellectual property. The review focuses on pharmaceutical cocrystals, cocrystal design, and methods of co crystallization, characterization, regulatory classification, cocrystals as intellectual property and some examples of candidate for preparation of cocrystals.