The invention deals with a method for the assessment of the effect of
excipients, pH and combinations thereof on the predicted absorption
properties of low solubility compounds, comprising the step of assessing
a change in a flux function for a combination of a low solubility
compound and an excipient at at least one predefined pH value. The method
allows a fast, accurate, and economic evaluation of an excipient being
capable of optimizing the absorption of drug molecules, i.e. low
solubility compounds. Furthermore, animal experiments can be excluded and
use of compounds can be reduced in such evaluation. Thus, screening for
future formulation efficacy (pH and excipient effects on solubility and
permeability) of drug candidates can be justified, since the method is
fast, compound-sparing, cost-effective, and reasonably accurate.