Multi-component crystalline materials (salts and co-crystals) have received renewed interest in recent years due to their importance in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical salts and co-crystals represent an emerging class of pharmaceutical materials offering the prospect of optimized physical properties giving new stable and patentable solid forms. Indeed these multi-component crystalline forms influence relevant physico-chemical parameters such as solubility, dissolution rate, chemical and physical stability, melting point and hygroscopicity, which can result in solids with properties superior to those of the free drug. This unique book focuses on the currently 'hot topic' of Pharmaceutical Salts and Co-crystals and covers the following key topics: the fundamental aspects of salts and co-crystals; the role of fluorine in weak interactions in co-crystals; polymorph prediction of small organic molecules, co-crystals and salts; shape and polarity in co-crystal formation; the role of co-crystals in pharmaceutical development; solid forms and pharmacokinetics; the application of mechanochemistry in the synthesis and discovery of new pharmaceutical forms; co-crystallization in solution and scale-up; analytical techniques and strategies for salt/co-crystal characterization; co-crystal solubility and thermodynamic stability; application of phase diagrams in co-crystal search and preparation; limits of the co-crystal concept and beyond; commercial opportunities and patent considerations; using Piracetam as a learning model and monographs of the most frequent co-crystal formers. Combining both reports of the latest academic research and comprehensive overviews of basic principles, with more applied contributions from selected experts in industry. This blend of expertise makes this book an essential reference for pharmaceutical development scientists, researchers in crystal engineering, and is equally useful for the more seasoned expert as well as for the graduate student.

Johan Wouters is Professor at the Department of Chemistry and a Member of the Drug Design Discovery Center at the University of Namur, Belgium. He is also a teacher in general chemistry, crystallography and structure-based drug design and is the author of about 120 papers. Luc QuÚrÚ is at UCB, a global Biopharma, as head of Chemical Analytical Development. Current UCB strategy with respect to solid-state issues and opportunities has been developed under his leadership.

Fundamental Aspects on Salts and Co-crystals; Preparative Methods for Co-crystals; Characterization of Co-crystals and Salts; Applications of Co-crystals and Salts in Pharmaceutical Solid State Property Management