Preparation, characterization, and tableting of a solid dispersion of indomethacin with crospovidone

A significant problem with solid dispersion (SD) systems is the difficulty in preparing dosage forms. This difficulty can be overcome using crospovidone (CrosPVP) as a carrier. A powder SD of indomethacin (IM) with CrosPVP was prepared using mechanical mixing followed by heating to temperatures below the melting point. IM and CrosPVP interacted to produce IM in an amorphous state when its concentration was <40%. The solubility of IM was improved about fourfold compared to IM crystal. The SD had good fluidity, and tablets were prepared by direct compression. Tablets with small weight variation and acceptable hardness were obtained using only 1% of magnesium stearate as excipient. The dissolution of IM from tablets was similar to that of SD powder because CrosPVP, a disintegration agent, caused the tablets to break up rapidly.