Walter McCrone

Bio: Walter McCrone is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Tautomer & Crystal structure. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 863 citations.

Crystalline Polymorphism of Organic Compounds

Abstract: Crystal polymorphism is encountered in all areas of research involving solid substances. Its occurrence introduces complications during manufacturing processes and adds another dimension to the complexity of designing materials with specific properties. Research on polymorphism is fraught with unique difficulties due to the subtlety of polymorphic transformations and the inadvertent formation of pseudopolymorphs. In this report, a summary of thermodynamic, kinetic and structural considerations of polymorphism is presented. A wide variety of techniques appropriate to the study of organic crystalline polymorphism and pseu-dopolymorphism is then surveyed, ranging from simple crystal density measurement to observation of polymorphic transformations using variable-temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction methods. Application of newer methodology described in this report is yielding fresh insights into the nature of the crystallization process, holding promise for a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of polymorphism and its practical control.

Strategies to Address Low Drug Solubility in Discovery and Development

Abstract: Drugs with low water solubility are predisposed to low and variable oral bioavailability and, therefore, to variability in clinical response. Despite significant efforts to "design in" acceptable developability properties (including aqueous solubility) during lead optimization, approximately 40% of currently marketed compounds and most current drug development candidates remain poorly water-soluble. The fact that so many drug candidates of this type are advanced into development and clinical assessment is testament to an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the approaches that can be taken to promote apparent solubility in the gastrointestinal tract and to support drug exposure after oral administration. Here we provide a detailed commentary on the major challenges to the progression of a poorly water-soluble lead or development candidate and review the approaches and strategies that can be taken to facilitate compound progression. In particular, we address the fundamental principles that underpin the use of strategies, including pH adjustment and salt-form selection, polymorphs, cocrystals, cosolvents, surfactants, cyclodextrins, particle size reduction, amorphous solid dispersions, and lipid-based formulations. In each case, the theoretical basis for utility is described along with a detailed review of recent advances in the field. The article provides an integrated and contemporary discussion of current approaches to solubility and dissolution enhancement but has been deliberately structured as a series of stand-alone sections to allow also directed access to a specific technology (e.g., solid dispersions, lipid-based formulations, or salt forms) where required.

Crystal engineering: from molecule to crystal.

Abstract: How do molecules aggregate in solution, and how do these aggregates consolidate themselves in crystals? What is the relationship between the structure of a molecule and the structure of the crystal it forms? Why do some molecules adopt more than one crystal structure? Why do some crystal structures contain solvent? How does one design a crystal structure with a specified topology of molecules, or a specified coordination of molecules and/or ions, or with a specified property? What are the relationships between crystal structures and properties for molecular crystals? These are some of the questions that are being addressed today by the crystal engineering community, a group that draws from the larger communities of organic, inorganic, and physical chemists, crystallographers, and solid state scientists. This Perspective provides a brief historical introduction to crystal engineering itself and an assessment of the importance and utility of the supramolecular synthon, which is one of the most important concepts in the practical use and implementation of crystal design. It also provides a look to the future from the viewpoint of the author, and indicates some directions in which this field might be moving.