PHARMACEUTICAL COCRYSTALS OF COLCHICINE: A Potential Strategy for Improving Solubility and Dissolution in Gout Therapy

Colchicine is an established anti-inflammatory drug widely used in the management of acute gout and other inflammatory disorders. Pharmaceutical cocrystallization has emerged as a promising crystal-engineering approach for modifying the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients without altering their covalent structure. In this approach, colchicine is combined with a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable coformer through non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, to form a new crystalline solid phase with potentially improved physicochemical characteristics. Colchicine cocrystals with different coformers have been investigated, including systems based on organic acids such as L-malic acid and tartaric acid. Such systems provide an opportunity to modify crystal packing, lattice energy, aqueous solubility, dissolution rate, stability, and potentially oral absorption. This review summarizes the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical limitations associated with colchicine, the fundamental principles of pharmaceutical cocrystal formation, coformer selection, preparation techniques, and characterization methods Pharmaceutical cocrystallization may therefore represent a promising formulation strategy for optimizing the delivery of colchicine and potentially improving its therapeutic performance in gout therapy.