Spray Drying vs. Freeze Drying For Pharmaceutical Formulations

By Dr. Kevin Ward

Freeze drying is the preferred choice for preserving a wide range of pharmaceutical formulations when stability in the liquid state is inadequate, storage requirements are too stringent, or a solid form of the product is desired. However, recent research has transformed spray drying from being thought of as a process only suitable for food and robust bulk pharmaceutical applications into a viable option for complex products such as microencapsulated bacteria and nanoparticulates.