Crystal Engineering of Carbamazepine Co-Crystals for Solubility and Dissolution Enhancement: Solid-State Characterization and In-Vitro Performance Evaluation

Poor aqueous solubility remains a major limitation in oral drug delivery, particularly for Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) Class II drugs. Carbamazepine (CBZ), a widely prescribed anticonvulsant, exhibits high permeability but low aqueous solubility, resulting in variable dissolution behaviour and inconsistent therapeutic response. The present study aimed to design and evaluate pharmaceutical co-crystals of carbamazepine using rational crystal engineering approaches to enhance solubility and dissolution characteristics. Cocrystals were prepared using nicotinamide, saccharin, and glutaric acid as co-formers through solvent evaporation, slurry crystallization, and liquid-assisted grinding techniques.