Cocrystal Screening Research Articles

A quality by design strategy for cocrystal design based on novel computational and experimental screening strategies: part A.

While pharmaceutical Cocrystals have long been acknowledged as a promising method of enhancing a drugs bioavailability, they have not yet experienced widespread industrial adoption on the same scale as other multi-component drugs, such as salts and amorphous solid dispersions. This is partly due to the lack of a being no definitive screening strategy to identify suitable coformers, with the most cocrystal screening strategies heavily relying on trial and error approaches, or through utilizing a multiple and often conflicting, computational screening techniques combined with high material consumption experimental techniques. From the perspective of industry, this can often lead to high material waste and increased costs, encouraging the prioritization of more traditional bioenhancement techniques. Here we present a strategy for the selection of multicomponent systems involving computational modelling for screening of drug- former pairs based on a combination of molecular complementarity and H-bond propensity screening. Jet dispensing printing technology is co-opted as a mechanism for High-Throughput Screening (HTS) of different stoichiometric ratios, as a low material consumption screening strategy. This strategy is presented herein as a Quality by Design (QbD) crystal engineering approach, combined with experimental screening methods to produce cocrystals of a novel 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitor, PF-04191834 (PF4). Through this methodology, three new cocrystals were indicated for PF4, confirmed via DSC and XRPD, from less than 50mg of original testing material. Part B of this study will demonstrate the scalability of this technique continuous extrusion.

Cocrystal screening of benznidazole based on electronic transition, molecular reactivity, hydrogen bonding, and stability.

Screening of cocrystals of active pharmaceutical ingredients is important in the development of pharmaceutical compounds because it improves bioavailability, stability, solubility, and many other physicochemical properties. In this work, quantum chemical calculations were utilized for the computational evaluation of the cocrystal screening of benznidazole (BZN) API via hydrogen bonding with four coformers (maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, and salicylic acid), and they contain carboxylic groups. The nitrogen of the imidazole ring in benznidazole and the carboxylic group of the coformer form a hetero-synthon connected by a strong hydrogen bond. The strength of the hydrogen bonding interaction O-H…N was measured using various tools. It was found that in comparison to BZN cocrystals with malonic acid, oxalic acid, and salicylic acid, the O-H…N interaction in the BZN-maleic acid cocrystal had higher interaction energy, indicating it had stronger hydrogen bonding. The strength of the hydrogen bond O-H…N for synthons was discovered to be more beneficial than the C-H…O interaction, as confirmed by ESP analysis. The BZN-salicylic acid cocrystal was found to be more reactive and polarizable, whereas the BZN-malonic acid cocrystal was more stable. Cocrystals of benznidazole exhibited better physicochemical characteristics than API benznidazole, as indicated by electron transition properties between the most significant orbitals. The computational evaluation for the screening of benznidazole cocrystals was performed in Gaussian 16 software using density functional theory (DFT) with the hybrid functional B3LYP and the basis set 6-311 + + G(d,p). The UV-Vis absorption spectrum in solvent water was analyzed using the TD-DFT/6-311 + + G(d,p) method to determine the influence of the solvent in cocrystals using a polarizable continuum model. The strength of the hydrogen bonding interactions O-H…N in each of those mentioned cocrystals was used to screen the cocrystals using tools such as thermodynamic probability, ESP analysis, QTAIM analysis, and NBO analysis. The pairing energy of interaction was measured by determining H-bond donor ( ) and H-bond acceptor ) parameters for hydrogen bonds from maxima and minima on the ESP surface. GaussView 06 software was used to create, visualize, and plot the optimized structure of the cocrystal and HOMO-LUMO orbitals. The AIMALL (10.05.04) software package generated the molecular graph for intra- and intermolecular interactions. The RDG-scatter plot, MEP map, and ELF plot were rendered from Multiwfn 8.0 and VMD 1.9.1 software.

Cocrystal screening in minutes by solution-mediated phase transformation (SMPT): Preparation and characterization of ketoconazole cocrystals with nine aliphatic dicarboxylic acids

The rapid and efficient cocrystal screening, based on solution-mediated phase transformation (SMPT), was applied to the screening of cocrystals between ketoconazole (KTZ) and nine aliphatic dicarboxylic acids. Cocrystals formed successfully, in minutes, with a change of suspension characteristics, either a cake formation or the formation of large particles. Bulk cocrystals were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. Single crystals were grown, and molecular structures were determined. Three previously reported cocrystals were reproduced, and six new cocrystals were discovered, including one that was reported as a failure in literature by solution or grinding method. Two hydrogen-bonded motifs are observed in these nine cocrystals: Most cocrystals form hydrogen bonded discrete tetramer with two KTZ and two acids molecules; while two cocrystals form infinite chain. This study demonstrated the high efficacy of cocrystal generation using the slurry screening method. It should be fully utilized in future cocrystal screening.

Conformation, virtual cocrystal screening, synthesis and determination of dipyridamole

Drug development necessitates substantial investments in both human and material resources. In the advanced stages of development, significant solubility challenges frequently emerge, critically influencing a drug's applicability and efficacy. Crystal engineering, particularly through the application of cocrystal technology, presents a novel strategy to address these solubility issues without compromising the drug's effectiveness. However, the success rate of cocrystals formation remains relatively low. This article evaluates the impact of widely used virtual cocrystal screening methods on prediction outcomes, especially in the context of conformational diversity. The study describes the effects of eight dipyridamole (DIP) conformations and 130 cocrystal formers (CCFs) using molecular complementarity and molecular electrostatic potential methods, while the hydrogen bond propensity method did not account for conformations variations. Findings indicate that different DIP conformations lead to variable prediction outcomes in virtual cocrystal screening. Thus, it is crucial consider the conformational states of APIs and CCFs in virtual screenings to enhance prediction accuracy. By comparing virtual screening results with experimental results, this study demonstrated that incorporating conformational considerations can improve cocrystal success rates, minimize experimental workload, and contribute to energy-conservation and emission-reduction. Additionally, this research provides the true positives and true negatives data of DIP's cocrystal, laying the groundwork for further studies.

Cocrystal Prediction of Nifedipine Based on the Graph Neural Network and Molecular Electrostatic Potential Surface.

Nifedipine (NIF) is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker primarily used to treat conditions such as hypertension and angina. However, its low solubility and low bioavailability limit its effectiveness in clinical practice. Here, we developed a cocrystal prediction model based on Graph Neural Networks (CocrystalGNN) for the screening of cocrystals with NIF. And scoring 50 coformers using CocrystalGNN. To validate the reliability of the model, we used another prediction method, Molecular Electrostatic Potential Surface (MEPS), to verify the prediction results. Subsequently, we performed a second validation using experiments. The results indicate that our model achieved high performance. Ultimately, cocrystals of NIF were successfully obtained and all cocrystals exhibited better solubility and dissolution characteristics compared to the parent drug. This study lays a solid foundation for combining virtual prediction with experimental screening to discover novel water-insoluble drug cocrystals.

Novel nimesulide multicomponent solid forms: screening, synthesis, thermoanalytical study and characterization

AbstractNimesulide (NMS) is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, however, presents low aqueous solubility. One way to overcome the solubility issue of drugs is altering their solid forms through some approaches like cocrystals, coamorphous, and eutectic mixtures. The purpose of this work was to prospect new multicomponent solid forms of NMS. A virtual-experimental cocrystal screening was carried out through COSMOquick software and mechanochemical experiments. Alternatively, dual-drug coamorphous systems were investigated by quench cooling and/or cryomilling processes. All solid samples were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results confirmed the successful synthesis of a NMS-piperazine cocrystal (NMS-PPZ), two new eutectic mixtures NMS-gentisic acid (NMS-GSA) and NMS-isoniazid (NMS-INH), as well as novel drug-drug coamorphous systems. The eutectic compositions were determined by binary solid–liquid phase diagram construction and Tamman’s triangle plot. Nimesulide-omeprazole (NMS-OMP) coamorphous system was found to be stable for at least 120 days in dry conditions. The coamorphous system with bicalutamide (NMS-BICA) prepared by quench cooling process is more stable than that obtained by cryomilling. Finally, the dissolution rate study demonstrated that NMS multicomponent systems are dissolved relatively faster than pure drug.

Repurposing of Antifungal Drug Flucytosine/Flucytosine Cocrystals for Anticancer Activity against Prostate Cancer Targeting Apoptosis and Inflammatory Signaling Pathways.

This study aimed to repurpose the antifungal drug flucytosine (FCN) for anticancer activity together with cocrystals of nutraceutical coformers sinapic acid (SNP) and syringic acid (SYA). The cocrystal screening experiments with SNP resulted in three cocrystal hydrate forms in which two are polymorphs, namely, FCN-SNP F-I and FCN-SNP F-II, and the third one with different stoichiometry in the asymmetric unit (1:2:1 ratio of FCN:SNP:H2O, FCN-SNP F-III). Cocrystallization with SYA resulted in two hydrated cocrystal polymorphs, namely, FCN-SYA F-I and FCN-SYA F-II. All the cocrystal polymorphs were obtained concomitantly during the slow evaporation method, and one of the polymorphs of each system was produced in bulk by the slurry method. The interaction energy and lattice energies of all cocrystal polymorphs were established using solid-state DFT calculations, and the outcomes correlated with the experimental results. Further, the in vitro cytotoxic activity of the cocrystals was determined against DU145 prostate cancer and the results showed that the FCN-based cocrystals (FCN-SNP F-III and FCN-SYA F-I) have excellent growth inhibitory activity at lower concentrations compared with parent FCN molecules. The prepared cocrystals induce apoptosis by generating oxidative stress and causing nuclear damage in prostate cancer cells. The Western blot analysis also depicted that the cocrystals downregulate the inflammatory markers such as NLRP3 and caspase-1 and upregulate the intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway marker proteins, such as Bax, p53, and caspase-3. These findings suggest that the antifungal drug FCN can be repurposed for anticancer activity.

Efficient Screening of Pharmaceutical Cocrystals by Microspacing In-Air Sublimation.

Cocrystal screening and single-crystal growth remain the primary obstacles in the development of pharmaceutical cocrystals. Here, we present a new approach for cocrystal screening, microspacing in-air sublimation (MAS), to obtain new cocrystals and grow high-quality single crystals of cocrystals within tens of minutes. The method possesses the advantages of strong designable ability of devices, user-friendly control, and compatibility with materials, especially for the thermolabile molecules. A novel drug-drug cocrystal of favipiravir (FPV) with salicylamide (SAA) was first discovered by this method, which shows improved physiochemical properties. Furthermore, this method proved effective in cultivating single crystals of FPV-isonicotinamide (FPV-INIA), FPV-urea, FPV-nicotinamide (FPV-NIA), and FPV-tromethamine (FPV-Tro) cocrystals, and the structures of these cocrystals were determined for the first time. By adjusting the growth temperature and growth distance precisely, we also achieved single crystals of 10 different paracetamol (PCA) cocrystals and piracetam (PIR) cocrystals, which underscores the versatility and efficiency of this method in pharmaceutical cocrystal screening.

Cocrystal Prediction Based on Deep Forest Model—A Case Study of Febuxostat

To aid cocrystal screening, a deep forest-based cocrystal prediction model was developed in this study using data from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). The positive samples in the experiment came from the CSD. The negative samples were partly from the failure records in other papers, and some were randomly generated according to specific rules, resulting in a total of 8576 pairs. Compared with the models of traditional machine learning methods and simple deep neural networks models, the deep forest model has better performance and faster training speed. The accuracy is about 95% on the test set. Febuxostat cocrystal screening was also tested to verify the validity of the model. Our model correctly predicted the formation of cocrystal. It shows that our model is practically useful in practice.

Co-Processed Crystalline Solids of Ivermectin with Span® 60 as Solubility Enhancers of Ivermectin in Natural Oils

Despite being discovered over five decades ago, little is still known about ivermectin. Ivermectin has several physico-chemical properties that can result in it having poor bioavailability. In this study, polymorphic and co-crystal screening was used to see if such solid-state modifications can improve the oil solubility of ivermectin. Span® 60, a lipophilic non-ionic surfactant, was chosen as co-former. The rationale behind attempting to improve oil solubility was to use ivermectin in future topical and transdermal preparations to treat a range of skin conditions like scabies and head lice. Physical mixtures were also prepared in the same molar ratios as the co-crystal candidates, to serve as controls. Solid-state characterization was performed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The FTIR spectra of the co-crystal candidates showed the presence of Span® 60’s alkyl chain peaks, which were absent in the spectra of the physical mixtures. Due to the absence of single-crystal X-ray data, co-crystal formation could not be confirmed, and therefore these co-crystal candidates were referred to as co-processed crystalline solids. Following characterization, the solid-state forms, physical mixtures and ivermectin raw material were dissolved in natural penetration enhancers, i.e., avocado oil (AVO) and evening primrose oil (EPO). The co-processed solids showed increased oil solubility by up to 169% compared to ivermectin raw material. The results suggest that co-processing of ivermectin with Span® 60 can be used to increase its oil solubility and can be useful in the development of oil-based drug formulations.Graphical

Efficient cocrystal coformer screening based on a Machine learning Strategy: A case study for the preparation of imatinib cocrystal with enhanced physicochemical properties

Cocrystal engineering, which involves the self-assembly of two or more components into a solid-state supramolecular structure through non-covalent interactions, has emerged as a promising approach to tailor the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Efficient coformer screening for cocrystal remains a challenge. Herein, a prediction strategy based on machine learning algorithms was employed to predict cocrystal formation and seven reliable models with accuracy over 0.890 were successfully constructed. Imatinib was selected as the model drug and the models established were applied to screen 31 potential coformers. Experimental verification results indicated RF-8 is the optimal model among seven models with an accuracy of 0.839. When the seven models were combined for coformer screening of Imatinib, the combinational model achieved an accuracy of 0.903, and eight new solid forms were observed and characterized. Benefiting from intermolecular interactions, the obtained multicomponent crystals displayed enhanced physicochemical properties. Dissolution and solubility experiments showed the prepared multicomponent crystals had higher cumulative dissolution rate and remarkably improved the solubility of imatinib, and IM-MC exhibited comparable solubility to Imatinib mesylate α form. Stability test and cytotoxicity results showed that multicomponent crystals exhibited excellent stability and the drug-drug cocrystal IM-5F exhibited higher cytotoxicity than pure API.

Discovery of new cocrystals beyond serendipity: lessons learned from successes and failures

A holistic understanding of reaction kinetics, the presence of catalysts, and annealing conditions can advance and accelerate the screening of elusive cocrystals, expediting the development of novel drug cocrystals for future clinical use.

Improving the sublimation stability of ligustrazine with gallic acid by forming pharmaceutical cocrystal based on the Etter's rules

To improve the high sublimation characteristics of ligustrazine (TMP), an unreported ligustrazine-gallic acid pharmaceutical cocrystal (C7H6O5·2(C8H12N2)·H2O, TMP-GA) was synthesized by using a virtual cocrystal screening method based on the rules of hydrogen bonding formation (Etter's rules). The results of the molecular surface electrostatic potential (MEPS) of TMP-GA showed that the actual hydrogen bonding sites of TMP-GA were the same as the predicted ones, and the calculated ΔE was not much different from the predicted ones. The results of physicochemical properties showed that TMP-GA had better physical stability against TMP sublimation without reducing the solubility and permeability of TMP. Combined with the interaction force analysis of the crystals, the reason may be that compared with the TMP monomer pharmaceutical structure, the intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the TMP-GA pharmaceutical cocrystal is increased, the structure is more stable, and the increase in the energy required for TMP sublimation makes the tendency to sublimate of the TMP-GA significantly lower. This suggests that we can utilize the virtual cocrystal screening method based on Etter's rules to introduce suitable cocrystal formers to reduce the sublimation tendency of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Cocrystal screening of anticancer drug p-toluenesulfonamide and preparation by supercritical antisolvent process

p-Toluenesulfonamide (PTS) is a new anticancer drug in development. Its poor dissolution behavior complicates the design and development of the formulation process. The present study aimed to improve the dissolution profile of PTS by using a cocrystal engineering approach. Cocrystal screening of PTS with commonly used coformers was investigated, including 4,4′-bipyridine, nicotinamide, isonicotinamide, and sulfacetamide. According to the results of PXRD, FTIR, DSC, and elemental analyzer, a cocrystal of PTS with coformer 4,4′-bipyridine in a stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 was first disclosed. The single crystal of this cocrystal was then prepared, and the crystallographic data were identified and reported. In addition, an intensified crystallization technique, the supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process, was applied to produce this cocrystal using CO2 as the antisolvent. The effect of SAS process parameters was studied, including the operating temperature, operating pressure, solution flow rate, and nozzle diameter. Optimized SAS conditions were proposed for cocrystal preparation, yielding a total powder recovery of approximately 70% and a purity level of up to 90%. Furthermore, according to the results of the dissolution rate study, the dissolution rate of SAS-produced cocrystal was enhanced considerably about 375 times compared to the physical mixture.

Utilizing hot-stage polarized microscopy and ATR-FTIR for ramipril co-crystal screening, supported by principal component analysis and cluster analysis

Context: Co-crystal formation, a method for enhancing the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), has gained traction in pharmaceutical research. However, the current landscape lacks comprehensive and dependable co-crystal screening methods. Aims: To implement and assess a comprehensive methodology for co-crystal screening. This methodology combines hot-stage polarized microscopy (HSPM) and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, along with principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Methods: Three binary compounds containing ramipril, an API that had not previously been co-crystallized, and three pharmaceutical coformers were investigated. The Kofler mixed fusion method was initially employed for initial co-crystal system identification. Subsequently, potential co-crystals were produced in a solid state via a procedure involving the gradual evaporation of the solvent. PCA and CA were applied to ATR-FTIR spectral data to identify patterns indicative of co-crystal formation. Results: Our analysis revealed characteristic ATR-FTIR bands indicative of the formation of hydrogen bonds between ramipril and its coformers, signifying the successful formation of co-crystals. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements confirmed these findings. Experiments revealed two potential co-crystals, ramipril-vanillin, and ramipril-anthranilic acid. The study discusses the intricate HSPM images, spectra, thermogram of DSC, and X-ray diffraction properties of these systems in depth. Conclusions: Our findings validate the proposed methodology as a prospective tool for co-crystal screening, as ramipril co-crystals were successfully identified and characterized. This integrated method simplifies co-crystal screening and has the potential to substantially advance pharmaceutical research.

Improved tableting properties of ascorbic acid via eutectic compositions with sugars

Ascorbic acid (ASC) is commonly used as an anti-oxidant and a dietary supplement due to its radical scavenging properties. The ASC chewable tablet dosage form is regularly prescribed to increase immunity among Covid-19 patients. The main drawback during tableting of ASC is its brittle nature because of interlocking packing arrangement, strong hydrogen bonding between complimentary functional groups and lack of slip planes in its crystal lattice. In order to improve the compaction properties of ASC, sugar and sugar alcohol as coformers with better tableting profile over ASC were introduced. During high throughput cocrystal screening, four eutectic compositions of ASC with glucose (GLU), mannitol (MAN), sucrose (SUC) and lactose monohydrate (LAC) were obtained in an equivalent stoichiometry. The binary eutectics (1:1) were confirmed by their lower melting endotherms compared to the individual components and overlapping of those in XRD characterization. The regular (lamellar) microstructures of the ASC-GLU and ASC-MAN eutectics and irregular (acicular or globular) microstructures of the ASC-LAC and ASC-SUC eutectics were confirmed by the optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the crystallized binary compositions. Similar to ASC, all the eutectic mixtures were proved to be non-hygroscopic at 25 ᴼC/80 % RH. The eutectics with disaccharides such as ASC-SUC and ASC-LAC improved the tensile strength (tabletibility) of ASC with lower porosity, compared to the corresponding monosaccharide eutectics (ASC-GLU/ASC-MAN). Improved compaction properties of ASC-SUC/LAC eutectics is correlated with higher inter-particulate bonding area and bonding strength.

In-Silico Aided Screening and Characterization Results in Stability Enhanced Novel Roxadustat Co-Crystal

Roxadustat (RXD) is an approved drug substances for the treatment of renal anemia. It has poor aqueous solubility and photochemical stability. This study employs a comprehensive approach to enhance the stability and physicochemical properties RXD through coformer selection and characterization. The investigation integrates delta pKa analysis, molecular complementary assessment, molecular electrostatic potential surface analysis, and machine learning techniques to predict potential co-crystal formation and binding interactions between drug molecules and coformers. The co-crystal screening which lead to in a novel RXD-nicotinamide co-crystal (RXD-NA). Experimental characterization underscores the physical and chemical stability of the co-crystals. To elucidate the supramolecular synthons and understand the intermolecular interactions in the RXD-NA co-crystal, Hirshfeld surfaces analysis, quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis and non-covalent interaction (NCI) analysis were performed. Computational analysis of photo-isomer formation aligns with experimental observations, further enhancing our understanding of RXD-coformer interactions. RXD-NA co-crystal was found photo-chemically stable as compared to free base API drug substance. This integrated methodology provides a systematic framework for informed co-crystal design, holding promise for optimizing RXD formulations based on molecular interactions and stability considerations. Consequently, this study contributes valuable insights to the field of rational drug design and formulation optimization.

Dipyridamole cocrystal tablets with enhanced solubility and dissolution at intestinal pH

The aim of the study was to prepare dipyridamole(DPM) cocrystals to alter itsphysicochemical properties as it ispoorly soluble in water, 6.8 pHbuffer and belongs to BCS class II. Cocrystals were prepared usingneat grinding method.
 Initial screening of cocrystals was done with melting point determination indicating formation of nine cocrystals. Based upon interference studies nine cocrystalswere finalized for solubility and dissolution studies. DPM-citric acid, DPM-hippuric acid, DPM-tartaric acid and DPM-oxalic acid cocrystalsshowed the significant enhancement in solubility and dissolution in 6.8 pH buffer.Further confirmation was done by DSC and PXRD studies. DPM-hippuric acid cocrystalshave shownpromising results for formation of cocrystals and considered for tablet formulation. DPM-hippuric acid cocrystal tablets were prepared by using various levels of carboxymethyl cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose. These tablets showed acceptable physical characteristics with subsequent rapid dissolution.

Theoretical and experimental cocrystal screening of temozolomide with a series of phenolic acids, promising cocrystal coformers

The virtual cocrystal screening approach based on molecular electrostatic potential surface (MEPS) maps is a fast and feasible computational method to estimate the probability of cocrystal formation by calculating the difference in the interaction site pairing energies of monomers and that of their assemblies prior to experimental screening. In this paper, we report 12 cocrystal forms of temozolomide with mono-, di-, and trihydroxy benzoic acids, namely, 3‑hydroxy-, 2,4-dihydroxy-, 2,5-dihydroxy-, 2,6-dihydroxy-, 3,4-dihydroxy-, and 3,4,5-trihydroxy-benzoic acids, as well as benzoic acid, as pharmaceutical coformers for the first time. 10 single crystals out of the 12 cocrystal forms were obtained and unequivocally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which clarified spatial arrangements, molecular conformations, and supramolecular synthons. MEPS further gains some insights into the sites of hydrogen bonding interactions for exploring combination patterns in these assemblies. Modulated stability of TMZ was successfully achieved by cocrystallization with these acids.

Emerging microfluidic platforms for crystallization process development

The microfluidic platform offers an exclusive environment compatible with different analytical tools to investigate crystallization processes. Moreover, microfluidic devices allow precise and convenient control of crystallization conditions at nano or meso scales, making them suitable for pharmaceutical and energy applications. These miniaturized screening devices can be effective during drug discovery stages for screening active ingredients available on micro/milligram scales. In this review, we discuss the advancements and applications of microfluidics platforms in the development of crystallization processes, including measurement of crystal growth and nucleation rates, screening of co-crystals, polymorphs and morphology, synthesis of nanocrystals, and determination of metastable zones and solubility. In addition, the latest microfluidics setups for high-throughput screening and lab-on-chip enhancements with sensors and automation are presented in this review. Lastly, an outlook on how microfluidic platforms can be adapted to improve workflow in crystallization process development is presented.