Polymorphs matter – especially when they might disappear

Being able to know what solid form your molecule will take can be of huge importance, especially in the drug industry. Different forms – or polymorphs – can be treated as different patentable entities, so being able to lock down every potential form of your billion-dollar blockbuster can be worth huge amounts.

But what happens when the polymorph that you’ve patented and produced for a few years suddenly vanishes? That is, despite everything in the production line being the same, your drug no longer settles in the structure you expect, but a different one.