The
use of flubendazole (FBZ) in the treatment of lymphatic filariasis
and onchocerciasis (two high incidence neglected tropical diseases)
has been hampered by its poor aqueous solubility. A material consisting
of binary flubendazole/maleic acid crystals (FBZ/MA), showing considerably
improved solubility and dissolution rate relative to flubendazole
alone, has been prepared in this work through solvent assisted mechanical
grinding. The identification of FBZ/MA as a binary crystalline compound
with salt character (proton transfer from MA to FBZ) relied on the
combined results of powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy,
attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
(ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetry
(TG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Isothermal solution
microcalorimetry studies further suggested that the direct formation
of FBZ/MA from its precursors in the solid state is thermodynamically
favored. A comparison of the in silico pharmacokinetic
performance of the FBZ/MA with that of pure FBZ based on a rat fasted
physiology model indicated that the absorption rate, mean plasma peak
concentration, and absorption extension of FBZ/MA were ∼2.6
times, ∼1.4 times, and 60% larger, respectively, than those
of FBZ. The results here obtained therefore suggest that the new FBZ/MA
salt has a considerable potential for the development of stable and
affordable pharmaceutical formulations with improved dissolution and
pharmacokinetic properties. Finally, powder X-ray diffraction studies
also led to the first determination of the crystal structure of FBZ.