Pharmaceutical Solid State: Screening, Structures, and Crystallization
Pharmaceutical Solid-State & Solid-Form Screening
This guide connects polymorph, salt, and cocrystal screening with crystallization, solid-state characterization, and structure determination. When reading a study or selecting a partner, identify the solid-state question first, then assess whether the method and deliverable support the project decision.
Questions to ask first
- Does the study address polymorphs, hydrates, solvates, salts, or cocrystals, and is the sample identity clear?
- What do screening, characterization, and structure determination each establish, and is complementary evidence needed?
- Is the goal solid-form selection, a crystallization process, or particle-property improvement, and does the experimental scale match the development need?
Key terms
- Solid-form screening
- Experimental studies organized around categories such as polymorphs, hydrates, solvates, salts, and cocrystals.
- Solid-state characterization
- Analytical work to identify and compare solid-state attributes, distinguished from determining a complete crystal structure.
- CSP
- Crystal structure prediction, tracked here as a computational approach that can be connected with experimental research.
Evidence and scope
A single characterization result or computational prediction does not establish an exhaustive solid-form landscape. Laboratory improvements in dissolution, stability, or particle properties do not directly demonstrate clinical advantages. Preserve the sample history, test conditions, study scale, and scope of prediction validation when comparing results.
Technology snapshot: 2026-11-01 · Research methods
