Patent ID: 8343550

Claim:
A process for producing a pharmaceutical composition comprising the steps: (a) forming a feed solution comprising a drug, a polymer and a solvent; (b) directing said feed solution to a spray-drying apparatus comprising (i) a drying chamber having a volume V dryer and a height H, (ii) atomizing means for atomizing said feed solution into droplets, and (iii) a source of heated drying gas for drying said droplets, said source delivering said drying gas to said drying chamber at a flow rate of G, wherein V dryer is measured in m 3 , H is at least 1 m, G is measured in m 3 /sec, and wherein the following mathematical relationship is satisfied V dryer G ≥ 10 ⁢ ⁢ seconds ; (c) atomizing said feed solution into droplets in said drying chamber by said atomizing means; (d) contacting said droplets with said heated drying gas to form particulates of a solid dispersion of said drug and said polymer; and (e) collecting said particulates.