Nanocrystal formulation of poorly water-soluble drug

Abstract

Various kinds of nanoparticle formulation have been developed to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Drug nanocrystal technology using wet milling has been applied for active pharmaceutical ingredients and some of them are commercially available. Nanonization of drug as nanocrystal enables improvement of dissolution rate, dispersibility, and the formulation stability. Newly developed drug nanocrystals are expected to be used not only as oral but also as parenteral and transdermal formulations. In this review, production technology, property, and physicochemical characterization of poorly water-soluble drug nanocrystals are introduced.