Chemistry and Physics of Solid Pharmaceuticals - B108005
Title: Chemie a fyzika pevných léčiv
Guaranteed by: Department of Solid State Chemistry (108)
Faculty: Faculty of Chemical Technology
Actual: from 2025
Semester: both
Points: 3
E-Credits: 3
Examination process:
Hours per week, examination: 2/0, Ex [HT]
Capacity: winter:unlimited / unknown (unknown)
summer:unknown / unknown (unknown)
Min. number of students: unlimited
Qualifications: Engineering
State of the course: taught
Language: Czech
Teaching methods: full-time
Level:  
Note: you can enroll for the course in winter and in summer semester
Guarantor: Kratochvíl Bohumil prof. RNDr. DSc.
Interchangeability : N108022
Examination dates   Schedule   
This subject contains the following additional online materials
Annotation -
The course is aimed at acquiring knowledge of the chemistry and physics of solid pharmaceutical substances (active or drug substances). The chemistry of solid pharmaceutical substances includes their reactivity in the solid phase, especially possible degradation by environmental influences during storage or production (stability and testing, expiry). The physics of solid pharmaceutical substances includes their molecular and crystal structure, i.e. how the structure of the molecular solids includes the binding ratios in the molecular crystal, crystal structure parameters, polymorphism phenomenon, amorphous phase, and macroscopic properties important for technological and therapeutic applications (mainly solubility, dissolution rate - dissolution profile, permeability). Attention is also paid to the final manufacturing step - crystallization, its theory and crystallization techniques, as well as to the characterization of the product (particles, their shape and distribution), and the subsequent theory of dissolution and release of the substance from the dosage form during passage through the gastro-intestinal tract. Other solidification techniques (freeze-drying and spray-drying) are also mentioned. Furthermore, the solid pharmaceutical phases, in terms of their chemical and physical typology, used in solid dosage forms, are the subject of the course. These are primarily anhydrates, hydrates (solvates), salts and cocrystals, and then drug carriers (substances) - polymers and conjugates (ADCs). The course programme concludes with an explanation of the individual steps in the development of an original and, above all, a generic medicinal product, applying the knowledge acquired throughout the course, including the overlap with patent policy, registration and regulation.
Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (04.04.2025)
Course completion requirements -

The course ends with an oral examination. Admission to the examination is conditional on the examinee's enrolment in the 3rd year of the Bc. level, which is organized by the Dean's Offices of the faculties of the ICT, mainly FCHT, but also FCHI and FFBT.

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (08.04.2025)
Literature -

R:Hilfiker R.(Ed.), Polymorphism in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Wiley-VCH Verlag, Weinheim, Germany, 2006, 9783527311460

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (09.01.2018)
Teaching methods -

The basic principles are explained in interactive lectures accompanied by the presentation of model examples and open discussions. All lectures are summarized and expanded with additional examples in electronic scripts, provided free of charge to students. Lectures with demonstration of the lectured phenomena using selected examples. Emphasis is placed on linking the lecture material with practice.

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (07.04.2025)
Requirements to the exam -

The course ends with an oral examination in which the student is given 3 questions from a pre-published list of exam questions. The exam takes into account the topic of the student's Bc. thesis and the student's discussion activity during lectures. Emphasis is also placed on orientation to current issues in the field (e.g., covid pandemy, drug market failures, etc.). In addition, knowledge that links the subject under examination (Chemistry and Physics of Solid Medicines) with the other two profile subjects in the field (Pharmaceutical Engineering and Organic Chemistry and Pharmacochemistry), taught simultaneously by other lecturers, is assessed.

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (08.04.2025)
Syllabus -

1. Introduction, basic concepts, definition of the subject

2. Solid phase in pharmacy, its chemistry and physics

3. Molecular crystal - structure and bonding

4. Polymorphism in pharmacy

5. Crystallization I - Theory

6. Crystallization II - Crystallization techniques

7. Particle size and shape

8. Solubility, dissolution rate, permaability, bioavailability

9. Amorphous and semi-crystalline state

10.Solid pharmaceutical phases I - anhydrates, hydrates, salts, amorphous, dispersions

11.Solid pharmaceutical phases II - cocrystals, derivatives

12.Solid pharmaceutical phases III - drug carriers, conjugates

13.Chemical and physical degradation, stability

14.Generic drug development

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (04.04.2025)
Learning resources -

Course presentations and a list of exam questions can be found on the web at: https://uchpel.vscht.cz/studium/studijni_materialy. These presentations are updated and optimized annually.

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (08.04.2025)
Learning outcomes -

Students completing this course will be able to:

  • orient themselves in the problems of the internal structure of pharmaceutical substances (molecular, crystalline, amorphous) and correlate it with the resulting properties of pharmaceutical phases
  • cope with the analysis of polymorphic systems of pharmaceutical substances, including its qualitative and quantitative analysis
  • orient themselves in crystallization techniques and be able to apply them in practice
  • for a given pharmaceutical substance be able to choose its optimal chemical and physical form (polymorph, anhydrate, hydrate, salt, cocrystal) for the development of a dosage form
  • be oriented in degradation processes, be able to apply stability tests
  • have a framework idea especially for the development of a generic pharmaceutical product
  • correlate the knowledge acquired in the subject Chemistry and Physics of Solid Pharmaceuticals with the knowledge from other profile bachelor's courses: Pharmaceutical Engineering and Organic Chemistry and Pharmacochemistry

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (07.04.2025)
Registration requirements -

Completion of the following courses, in addition to the general foundation:

Organic chemistry I, II

Fundamentals of Pharmacology

Analytical chemistry I

Last update: Kratochvíl Bohumil (08.04.2025)