17.  Conclusion

Curiously, the use of the amorphous state is currently attracting considerable interest in fields as diverse as metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, polymer science and food science. Although the compounds are chemically different, the issues specific to the amorphous and glassy states, as outlined in this article, are the same. Significant technological developments are taking place to produce amorphous solids in large quantities, with better-controlled stability and physical properties. The amorphous state concerns both active substances and excipients. It will undoubtedly play a major role in the development of new therapeutic strategies. This is particularly true for the formulation of new, poorly soluble molecules and fragile therapeutic proteins. Technologies are being developed, in parallel with an immense effort in fundamental physics, to understand the profound nature of glass: a disordered,...