Drugs as materials: valuing physical form in drug discovery

Traditionally, potency and selectivity (and to some extent metabolism) have been the key parameters to consider in the process of discovering new drug candidates. Recently, heads of research and CEOs have been learning a new reality: drugs can move around the body and act at the molecular level, but the chemical and material properties of their physical form need to be identified and optimized for in vivo performance, reliable manufacture and the protection of intellectual property. This review discusses the challenge of pharmaceutical materials discovery, and suggests strategies for addressing the characterization and evaluation of physico-chemical and material properties in the drug discovery and development process.