Small-Molecule Polymorphs Made in Orbit
Can capsules make small-molecule drugs in crystal forms that are hard to obtain on Earth?
Chapter summary
that is Varda's founding thesis, and its first mission processed the HIV drug ritonavir, producing its Form III crystal.
Key takeaways
- 1
Small-molecule drugs can crystallise in several forms, polymorphs, with different solubility and stability; ritonavir became a famous case in the 1990s when a more stable, less soluble form appeared and forced a reformulation.
- 2
Microgravity could favour forms or crystal habits that are difficult to make on Earth.
- 3
Public evidence so far is limited to mission announcements and a proprietary molecule processed on W-4; no peer-reviewed comparison or commercial supply has been published.
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Case Study: Lilly, Insulin and Automated Crystallisation
Next →Crystal Physics in Detail: Nucleation, Growth and Size Distribution
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