Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 20, 2025

A Package of Established Analytical Tools to Investigate the Solid-State Alteration of Lipid-Based Excipients
Published on: August 9, 2022
A mechanistic review on the dissolution phase behavior and supersaturation stabilization of amorphous solid
P Ashwathy1, Akshaya T Anto1, M S Sudheesh1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Kochi, India.
Abstract:
Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) technology is an attractive formulation approach for poorly soluble drugs because of the supersaturated state acquired during its dissolution. The high thermodynamic activity of the supersaturated state of the drug is also a driver for the enhanced absorptive flux across a membrane. However, this advantage can easily be lost due to the inherent instability of supersaturation, causing drug precipitation. Stabilizing the supersaturated state during the dissolution of ASD for the relevant absorption time frame is a challenging area in formulation research. Stabilizing the supersaturated state by using polymeric excipients and understanding the phase behavior of drugs during dissolution are required for the optimal performance of ASD formulations. A number of confounding kinetic, formulation and physiological factors can influence the evolution of supersaturation and phase changes during dissolution of ASDs. The review highlights the complex nature of dissolution of ASDs and the need of biorelevant dissolution for proper risk assessment and optimizing formulation development.
Related Concept Videos
Theories of Dissolution: The Danckwerts' Model and Interfacial Barrier Model
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Particle Size and Effective Surface Area
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Polymorphism, Amorphism and Pseudopolymorphism
Some polymorphic crystals possess lower aqueous solubility than their amorphous counterparts, leading to incomplete absorption. For instance, the oral suspension of Chloramphenicol, which...
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Pharmaceutical Parameters
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Drug Permeability, Stability and Stereochemistry
Theories of Dissolution: Diffusion Layer Model
This process starts with a thin layer, saturated with the drug, forming at the interface between the solid and liquid. The solute then diffuses from this layer into the main solution. The Noyes-Whitney equation suggests that the rate of dissolution relies on the diffusion...

