Cocrystallization Enables Ensitrelvir to Overcome Anomalous Low Solubility Caused by Strong Intermolecular Interactions between Triazine-Triazole Groups in Stable Crystal Form.

Ensitrelvir is a nonpeptide 3CL protease inhibitor used for coronavirus disease 2019 treatment. Four crystalline forms of ensitrelvir, metastable (Form I), acetonate (Form II), stable (Form III), and hydrate (Form IV), have been analyzed as pharmaceutical crystals. Their rank order of solubility is Form I > IV > III. Form III is the stable crystal with a significantly lower solubility than that predicted from its log value of 2.7. Here, single-crystal structural analysis revealed strong intermolecular interactions between the triazine (acidic) and triazole (basic) groups of Form III not Forms I and IV. Multicomponent crystals were also designed to improve the solubility by altering the intermolecular interactions in Form III. Slurry conversion with equal molar ratios of ensitrelvir and fumaric acid successfully induced the formation of a novel cocrystal (Form V). Fumaric acid inhibited the triazine-triazole interactions, and dissolution of Form V was approximately 8- and 13-fold higher than that of Form III in pH 1.2 and 6.8 media, respectively. Furthermore, Form V exhibited an approximately 16-fold higher flux value than that of Form III. Therefore, alterations in intermolecular interactions via cocrystallization significantly enhance the dissolution and permeation of ensitrelvir.