Microstructure of Crystals in a Topical Drug Product

Epiduo^TM is a topical formulation used for the treatment of common acne.

It comprises the two active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) adapalene and benzoyl peroxide, which are crystalline particles suspended in a gel for dermal delivery.

Using Morphologically-Directed Raman Spectroscopy (MDRS^®) on the Morphologi 4-ID, the API components can be automatically and independently characterised within the formulation, providing information for formulation scientists about the microstructure of this product.

Traditionally, this may have been achieved by manual microscopy, which is both time-consuming and subjective, especially as it is difficult to distinguish between the particle types from the optical image alone.