Comparative Insights into Polymers for Solid Dispersions: Mechanisms, Sustainability, Regulatory and Clinical Perspectives

The increasing number of poorly soluble drugs in development by the pharmaceutical industry presents an excellent challenge for oral drug delivery. There is no doubt that solid dispersion (SD) technology has become a potential method to facilitate solubility and bioavailability in poorly water-soluble drugs. The polymers are used in SD technology due to their capacity to stabilize drugs in their amorphous form. In this review, we outline traditional and next-generation polymers used in SD systems with an understanding of their physicochemical properties, functions, and compatibility in formulations. This review present a brief overview of the mechanisms between the polymer and the drug, along with the direction of simulation-based design and molecular dynamics modeling within predictive formulation design. Selected clinical cases from commercially solid dispersion-based products that have been approved as evidence of the systematic translation from small-scale research. It discusses possible avenues for the future with polymers that are more sustainable, biodegradable, and stimuli-responsive carriers, which are currently part of better regulatory and environmental goals globally. This work will provide a perspective of the molecular mechanisms that include clinical relevance and scalability of the formulation that will hopefully help with identifying suitable polymers for better next-generation oral delivery systems.