A recent paper in the journal, Analytical Chemistry, by Nottingham University PhD student, Andreea Iuraş and colleagues from the LBSA in the School of Pharmacy and AstraZeneca has demonstrated a new method for detecting and mapping the physical form of a drug.

Using time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) on amorphous and crystallized forms of a number of drugs, the authors show how Tof-SIMS can locate and analyse crystalline and amorphous drug material from the surface of drug particles.

This method is extremely sensitive and provides a new tool to help the development of solid dosage forms and is particularly relevant to formulations designed for dry powder inhalers, as used for example to treat COPD and asthma.