Polyvinyl pyrolidine: A theoretical study on the water solubility enhancement of cancer drug

Breast Cancer is the most common type of cancer known among women in the world. It is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. A drug that is commonly used to treatpatients with breast cancer other than chemotherapy is Tamoxifen (Nolvadex). But insolubility of tamoxifen can leadto the failure of even highly potent molecules during thepreformulation stage. Widely used approaches to improve the solubility include prodrugs and solid state modifications(polymorphs, particle size reduction). The presence of hydrophilic polymers in close contact with the drug moleculesincreases the solubility by maintaining the drug in a molecular state of subdivision (absence of lattice energy) and maximizing the surface area of the compound[1]. Thepolymeric carrier also acts as crystallization inhibitor and hence helps in maintaining the drug in its high-energyamorphous state. Engineering of amorphous alloys result in a unique delivery system because of the absence of predefined templates (regular molecular arrangements) observed incrystalline substances. Despite the advantages offered by amorphous systems, the marketed products based on thistechnology are few. The main factors responsible for this situation include manufacturing limitations, stability considerations, and above all lack of predictability of their dissolution behavior, attributed mainly to the lack of understanding of their molecular behavior. The mechanism of dissolution enhancement, the state of dispersal of drug within the polymeric matrix, storage stability, and in vitro and in vivocorrelation still need thorough exploration [2]. This study aimed to investigate the effect of polyvinyl pyrolidine (PVP) on aqueous solubility of tamoxifen