Solid Dispersions : An Approach to Enhance the Bioavailability of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

Abstract

Improving oral bioavailability of drugs those given as solid dosage forms remains a challenge for the formulation scientists due to solubility problems. The dissolution rate could be the rate-limiting process in the absorption of a drug from a solid dosage form of relatively insoluble drugs. Therefore increase in dissolution of poorly soluble drugs by solid dispersion technique presents a challenge to the formulation scientists. Solid dispersion techniques have attracted considerable interest of improving the dissolution rate of highly lipophilic drugs thereby improving their bioavailability by reducing drug particle size, improving wettability and forming amorphous particles. The term solid dispersion refers to a group of solid products consisting of at least two different components, generally a hydrophilic inert carrier or matrix and a hydrophobic drug. This article reviews historical background of solid dispersion technology, limitations, classification, and various preparation techniques with its advantages and disadvantages. This review also discusses the recent advances in the field of solid dispersion technology. Based on the existing results and authors’ reflection, this review give rise to reasoning and suggested choices of carrier or matrix and solid dispersion procedure.