Scientific Coformer Screening, Preparation and Evaluation of Fenofibrate Tartaric Acid Cocrystal

Objective: This present study aims to screen pharmaceutical cocrystal of Fenofibrate and coformers. Further the preparation and evaluation of  fenofibrate-coformer cocrystal and In-Vitro drug release and Ex-Vivo Permeation study was done. Material and Methods: The coformers for Fenofibrate were screened using molecular docking. The cocrystals produced were characterized using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRPD) study and Infrared spectroscopy. Results: Cocrystal of Fenofibrate with tartaric acid was successfully prepared. The cocrystals displayed enhanced dissolution rate by 2.36 fold, similarly the ex-vivo drug uptake through everted chicken intestine model was improved by 4.38 fold. The formation of cocrystals of fenofibrate with tartaric acid was evaluated by DSC, IR and XRPD. Conclusion: The fenofibrate - tartaric acid cocrystal exhibited increased % drug release and permeation compared to fenofibrate. This study confirms that selection of proper coformer is very vital step in preparation of stable, superior cocrystal. Based upon above study and results it revealed that cocrystallization offers a valuable way to improve the physicochemical properties of the API. Keywords: Pharmaceutical Cocrystal, Fenofibrate , Coformer, Molecular docking