Abstract
Crystal form can be vital to the performance of a dosage form. This is especially true for compounds that have intrinsic barriers to drug delivery, such as poor aqueous solubility, slow dissolution in gastrointestinal media, low permeability and first pass metabolism. The nature of the physical form and formulation tends to display the greatest effect on bioavailability parameters of water insoluble compounds that need to be given orally in high doses. An alternative approach available for enhancement of drug solubility, dissolution and bioavailability is through the application of crystal engineering of co crystals. Co-crystal is crystalline structure consisting of two or more components that form a unique structure having specific properties. The physical and chemical property improvements through pharmaceutical co-crystals draw closer the fields of crystal engineering and pharmaceutical sciences. A pharmaceutical co-crystal is single crystalline solid that incorporates two neutral molecules one being an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the other a co-crystal former. This technology is used to identify and develop new proprietary forms of widely prescribed drugs and offer a chance to increase the number forms of an API. This review focuses on the properties of co-crystals, their method of synthesis and applications in the field of pharmacy
