Effects of the glass-forming ability and annealing conditions on cocrystallization behaviors via rapid solvent removal: A case study of voriconazole

The kinetic entrapment of molecules in an amorphous phase is a common obstacle to cocrystal screening using rapid solvent removal, especially for drugs with a moderate or high glass-forming ability (GFA). The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of the coformer’s GFA and annealing conditions on the nature of amorphous phase transformation to the cocrystal counterpart. Attempts were made to cocrystallize voriconazole (VRC) with four structural analogues, namely fumaric acid (FUM), tartaric acid (TAR), malic acid (MAL), and maleic acid (MAE). The overall GFA of VRC binary systems increased with decreasing glass transition temperatures (T_g s) of these diacids, which appeared as a critical parameter for predicting the cocrystallization propensity such that a high-T_g coformer is more desirable. A new 1:1 VRC-TAR cocrystal was successfully produced via a supercooled-mediated re-cocrystallization process, and characterized by PXRD, DSC, and FTIR. The cocrystal purity against the annealing temperature displayed a bell-shaped curve, with a threshold at 40^◦ C. The isothermal phase purity improved with annealing and adhered to the Kolmogorov–Johnson–Mehl–Avrami kinetics. The superior dissolution behavior of the VRC-TAR cocrystal could minimize VRC precipitation upon gastric emptying. This study offers a simple but useful guide for efficient cocrystal screening based on the T_g of structurally similar coformers, annealing temperature, and time.