Crystal engineering has evolved in such a manner that it is now synonymous with the paradigm of supramolecular synthesis, that is, it invokes self-assembly of existing molecules to generate a wide range of new solid forms without the need to break or form covalent bonds. This review addresses how crystal engineering has been applied to active pharmaceutical ingredients, API's, with emphasis upon how pharmaceutical co-crystals, a long known but little explored alternative to the four traditionally known forms of API, can be generated in a rational fashion. Case studies on Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Piracetam are presented which illustrate the relative ease with which pharmaceutical co-crystals can be prepared and their diversity in terms of composition and physical properties.
Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.