Process for production of steroid crystals, steroid crystals obtained thereby and pharmaceutical preparations containing them

1. A process for making steroid crystals, said steroid crystals having an average particle size of from 1 μm to 25 μm and a maximum particle size of 100 μm, said process comprising subjecting a supersaturated solution containing a steroid to a wet milling by a wet milling apparatus while crystallizing, in order to obtain a primary particle suspension.

2. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein said supersaturated solution contains from 1 to 50 percent by weight of said steroid, based on said supersaturated solution.

3. The process as defined in claim 1 , further comprising preparing said supersaturated solution by dissolving said steroid in a solvent at a temperature below a boiling point of said solvent to form a resulting solution and subsequently cooling said resulting solution to a temperature above a freezing point of the resulting solution.

4. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein said crystallizing is performed in a vessel or container having a stirring device.

5. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein said wet milling apparatus is a rotor-stator apparatus, a stirring mill, a roller mill or a colloid mill.

6. The process as defined in claim 1 , further comprising heating said primary particle suspension to a temperature (T max ) below a solubility limit of primary particles of the primary particle suspension and subsequently cooling to a temperature above a freezing point (T min ) of the primary particle suspension.

7. The process as defined in claim 6 , wherein said supersaturated solution comprises a solvent and said temperature (T max ) below said solubility limit is selected so that from 10 to 95 percent by weight of said primary particles dissolve in said solvent.

8. The process as defined in claim 7 , wherein said temperature above said freezing point (T min ) is selected so that dissolved primary particles are substantially re-crystallized.

9. The process as defined in claim 8 , wherein said cooling from said temperature (T max ) below said solubility limit to said temperature above said freezinf point (T min ) occurs during a time interval of 1 minute to 10 hours.

10. The process as defined in claim 6 , wherein said heating to said temperature (T max ) below said solubility limit and said cooling to said temperature above said freezing point is performed from 1 to 20 times.

11. Steroid crystals having an average particle size of from 1 μm to 25 μm and a maximum particle size of 100 μm, wherein said steroid crystals are made by a process comprising subjecting a supersaturated solution containing a steroid to a wet milling by a wet milling apparatus while crystallizing, in order to obtain a primary particle suspension.

12. The steroid crystals as defined in claim 11 , wherein said supersaturated solution contains from 1 to 50 percent by weight of said steroid, based on said supersaturated solution, and said process comprises preparing said supersaturated solution by dissolving said steroid in a solvent at a temperature below a boiling point of said solvent to form a resulting solution and subsequently cooling said resulting solution to a temperature above a freezing point of the resulting solution.

13. The steroid crystals as defined in claim 11 , wherein said supersaturated solution comprises a solvent; said process comprises heating said primary particle suspension to a temperature (T max ) below a solubility limit of primary particles of the primary particle suspension and subsequently cooling to a temperature above a freezing point (T min ) of the primary particle suspension and wherein said temperature (T max ) below said solubility limit is selected so that from 10 to 95 percent by weight of said primary particles dissolve in said solvent and said temperature above said freezing point (T min ) is selected so that dissolved primary particles are substantially re-crystallized, said cooling from said temperature (T max ) below said solubility limit to said temperature above said freezing point (T min ) occurs during a time interval of 1 minute to 10 hours.

14. The steroid crystals as defined in claim 11 , wherein said crystallizing is performed in a vessel or container having a stirring device and said wet milling apparatus is a rotor-stator apparatus, a stirring mill, a roller mill or a colloid mill.

15. A pharmaceutical preparation containing steroid crystals, said steroid crystals having an average particle size of from 1 μm to 25 μm and a maximum particle size of 100 μm, wherein said steroid crystals are made by a process comprising subjecting a supersaturated solution containing a steroid to a wet milling by a wet milling apparatus while crystallizing, in order to obtain a primary particle suspension.

16. The pharmaceutical preparation as defined in claim 15 , wherein said crystallizing is performed in a vessel or container having a stirring device and said wet milling apparatus is a rotor-stator apparatus, a stirring mill, a roller mill or a colloid mill.

17. The pharmaceutical preparation as defined in claim 15 , wherein said supersaturated solution contains from 1 to 50 percent by weight of said steroid, based on said supersaturated solution, and said process comprises preparing said supersaturated solution by dissolving said steroid in a solvent at a temperature below a boiling point of said solvent to form a resulting solution and subsequently cooling said resulting solution to a temperature above a freezing point of the resulting solution.