New binary solid dispersion of Indomethacin and croscarmellose sodium: Physical characterization and in-vitro dissolution enhancement

Solid dispersions (SDx) containing Indomethacin (IND), a poorly water-soluble drug, and the disintegrant excipient sodium croscarmellose (SC) were prepared by a co-drying method and characterized by Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM). An FT-IR analysis performed on IND-SC solid dispersion and their physical mixtures indicated that IND does not interact with SC in the solid state. An analysis of the information produced by DSC, XRD, and SEM confirmed that the crystalline α-form of IND was homogeneously incorporated into SDx. IND release from SDx was significantly greater than that from its corresponding physical mixtures with the high homogeneous molecular dispersion and the crystalline modification of IND appearing to be the cause. This behavior may have a beneficial effect on the biopharmaceutical performance of this drug.