Advancing Pharmaceutical Performance: Insights Into Nano-Cocrystals for Enhanced Solubility and Drug Delivery

Nanococrystal technology has gained attention as an effective strategy to improve the solubility, dissolution rate, and bioavailability of drugs with poor water solubility. This advanced approach integrates the principles of crystal engineering with nanoscale particle size reduction, enhancing the physicochemical attributes and therapeutic efficacy of drugs. Nanococrystals are hybrid of cocrystals and nanocrystals, offering advantages of both the techniques. Cocrystal consist of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and an appropriate coformer, held together by non-covalent forces. The nanoscale particle size significantly increases the surface area, promoting better wettability and faster dissolution. Additionally, nanococrystals exhibit advantages such as improved stability, potential for targeted drug delivery, and feasibility for large-scale manufacturing. This review delves into the fundamentals, preparation techniques, characterization methods, and pharmaceutical applications of nanococrystals. It also addresses the challenges associated with this technology and examines future directions, highlighting its role in addressing solubility and bioavailability challenges in drug development.