Lilly Compound X (LCX) is an oncology drug that was tested in a phase I clinical study using starch blend capsules. The drug showed large inter- and intra-patient variability due to variations in stomach acidity and other factors.

Faraj Atassi and colleagues, Lilly Research Labs, Indianapolis, USA, conducted artificial stomach−duodenum (ASD) experiments to investigate the hypothesis that carefully selected dosing fluids would have an impact in minimizing exposure variability caused by the formulation.

Administrating Compound X with Captisol, a substance that helps improve the solubility of drug ingredients, along with Sprite was shown by the ADS to control stomach acidity in a way likely to allow optimal absorption of the drug into the body. Based on the results, the scientists suggest that patients in future clinical trials take the drug with Sprite.

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• Use of Artificial Stomach−Duodenum Model for Investigation of Dosing Fluid Effect on Clinical Trial Variability,
  Christopher S. Polster, Faraj Atassi, Sy-Juen Wu, and David C. Sperry;
  Mol. Pharmaceutics 2010, 7 (5), 533–1538.
  DOI: 10.1021/mp100116g