Scientists at Kazan Federal University have introduced a novel approach to preparing polymorphs, the distinct crystal forms that medicines can take. This breakthrough could lower the cost and time required to develop and bring new drugs to market, according to officials from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
Polymorphs are different crystalline packings of the same chemical substance. The choice of crystal form influences how a drug dissolves in water and which tissues it targets, ultimately affecting its bioavailability. In some cases, a rapidly dissolving form benefits mucosal tissues in the mouth, throat, and lungs, while slower dissolution is preferable for gastric administration. Drug makers therefore need to understand all polymorphs a compound can exhibit. Discovering new polymorphs may introduce additional research costs to study their pharmacological profiles.
Finding polymorphs is challenging because the total number of possible forms is not known in advance. It is commonly linked to the resources invested in screening. Modern automatic screening systems can test many crystallization conditions quickly, but they cannot guarantee that every possible crystal form will be found.
A leading researcher from the Department of Physical Chemistry explains that if a developer misses a polymorph, a competitor could identify it, produce the drug under a separate brand, and bypass certain protections. This research is conducted at the Research Laboratory for New Methods of Material Processing and Analysis for Medicine under Ultra-Fast Heating and Cooling Conditions, affiliated with the Kazan Federal University Institute of Chemistry and the Valery Gorbachuk Institute of Chemistry.
The work opens the door to a broader range of indigenous medicines and formulations. The team notes that their method searches for and prepares polymorphs in the solid state, rather than from solutions or melts. Solid-state processes create crystalline forms with relatively modest packing, which can stabilize polymorphs in a minimally stable state and potentially reveal forms that were missed in solution-based studies. This shift in approach provides a new pathway for discovering crystalline forms that influence drug behavior.
In a notable achievement, Kazan scientists prepared a polymorph of a compound previously observed only in polymer solvent mixtures. They also identified a new polymorph of indomethacin, a well-known nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with decades of study, that exhibits higher bioavailability. This discovery aligns with the goal of reducing development costs and accelerating the introduction of effective medications into practice.
Experts anticipate that the enhanced method for polymorph preparation will help minimize the chances of missed forms and streamline the evaluation of a substance’s pharmacological potential. The advancement supports more efficient drug development pipelines and could influence regulatory assessments by clarifying which polymorphs are relevant for efficacy and safety. The research is highlighted by sources from Kazan Federal University and related institutes, reflecting ongoing efforts to translate solid-state chemistry into practical pharmaceutical gains.
As the work progresses, the emphasis remains on ensuring that new polymorphs are comprehensively characterized for stability, solubility, and biological activity. The ultimate aim is to enable faster, more cost-effective introduction of new medicines while maintaining rigorous standards for quality and performance.
Further developments are expected to refine the solid-state strategies and expand the catalog of polymorphs available for medicinal substances. This ongoing program signals a shift in how researchers approach crystal engineering in drug discovery and could influence both pharmaceutical research and therapeutic innovation.
Sources and attributions: Kazan Federal University, Institute of Chemistry and related research laboratories. (Cited: Kazan Federal University, Research Laboratory for New Methods of Material Processing and Analysis for Medicine under Ultra-Fast Heating and Cooling Conditions)