New Polymorph of Indomethacin Discovered

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 9, 2026--

Rigaku Corporation, a global solution partner in X-ray analytical systems and a group company of Rigaku Holdings Corporation (headquarters: Akishima, Tokyo; CEO: Jun Kawakami; “Rigaku”), announced that the results of a joint research project conducted with Shionogi & Co., Ltd., JEOL Ltd., and Meiji Pharmaceutical University have been published in Crystal Growth & Design, a world-renowned international journal in the field of crystallography.

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This research uncovered a previously unknown polymorph ( κ -form) of indomethacin, a widely used pain relief and anti-inflammatory drug. The research team also conducted structural analysis and characterization of the newly identified crystal form. Although indomethacin has been the subject of pharmaceutical research for years, the discovery of a new polymorph is an extremely rare event, making this discovery highly significant for both crystallography and pharmaceutical research.

Crystal polymorphs are different crystal structures formed from the same chemical compound, resulting in variations in properties such as solubility and stability. Differences among polymorphs are an important research theme in pharmaceutical development, as they affect drug quality and manufacturability. The newly discovered polymorph is expected to deepen understanding in future pharmaceutical research.

Structural analysis in this research project was carried out using the MicroED method with XtaLAB Synergy-ED, a fully integrated electron diffractometer jointly developed by Rigaku and JEOL Ltd. The newly discovered polymorph consisted of extremely small crystals measuring less than one micrometer, making structural analysis difficult using conventional X-ray diffraction methods. By leveraging MicroED technology, the research team successfully determined the crystal structure of the new κ -form.

Furthermore, analysis of molecular arrangements within the crystal revealed intermolecular interactions contributing to the stability of the polymorph. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of MicroED for discovering previously undetectable polymorphs and highlight its potential to improve pharmaceutical quality and accelerate drug development.

Paper Title: Discovery of a New Polymorph, κ -form of Indomethacin
Journal: Crystal Growth & Design
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.5c01534

Research Partners
Shionogi & Co., Ltd.
https://www.shionogi.com/global/en/

JEOL Ltd.
https://www.jeol.com/

Meiji Pharmaceutical University
https://www.my-pharm.ac.jp/en/

About the Rigaku Group
Since its establishment in 1951, the engineering professionals of the Rigaku group have been dedicated to benefiting society with leading-edge technologies, notably including its core fields of X-ray and thermal analysis. With a market presence in 136 countries and regions and some 2,000 employees from 9 global operations, Rigaku is a solution partner in industry and research analysis institutes. Our overseas sales ratio has reached approximately 70% while sustaining an exceptionally high market share in Japan. Together with our customers, we continue to develop and grow. As applications expand from semiconductors, electronic materials, batteries, environment, resources, energy, life science to other high-tech fields, Rigaku realizes innovations “To Improve Our World by Powering New Perspectives.”
For details, please visit: rigaku-holdings.com/english

Cover of the June 2026 issue of Crystal Growth & Design, featuring this research.

TORONTO (AP) — A new Canadian-built bridge across the Detroit River that U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block will open at the end of the week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday.

In February, Trump demanded that Canada turn over at least half the ownership of the bridge and agree to other unspecified demands in one of his many salvos over cross-border trade issues.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which would connect Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan, and would be a vital economic artery between Canada and the United States, had been expected to open early this year, according to information on the project’s website.

The bridge is named after Howe, the late Canadian hockey great who spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.

The project was negotiated by former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder — a Republican — and paid for by the Canadian government to help ease congestion over the existing Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.

“Obviously the bridge will be open at the end of the week. A symbol of, but also a fact of cooperation between our countries,” Carney told reporters as he walked into Parliament.

“Great for Canadians going across the border, Americans coming across the border, and for commerce,” he said, calling it “positive news.”

Trump threatened the bridge as the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is up for review this year, and Trump has been taking a hard-line position before those talks, including by issuing new tariff threats.

Carney, meanwhile, has spoken out on the world stage against economic coercion by the United States.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, has said that the Canadian-funded project is a “huge boon” to her state and its economic future.

Michigan is a swing state that Trump carried in both 2016 and 2024.

Snyder wrote in an op-ed in The Detroit News earlier this year that Trump was wrong in asserting that Canada owns both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Gordie Howe bridge.

“Canada and the state of Michigan are 50/50 owners of the new bridge,” Snyder wrote. “Canada was wonderful and financed the entire bridge. They will get repaid with interest from the tolls. Michigan and the United States got their half-ownership with no investment.”

The Gordie Howe bridge will join the privately owned Ambassador Bridge as the second span connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

The rival Ambassador Bridge is considered the busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing, carrying 25% of all trade between the two countries. It plays an especially important role in auto manufacturing.

Companies controlled by the Moroun family, owners of the rival Ambassador Bridge, previously sued to prevent the Howe bridge from being built.

Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the Governor General Designate Louise Arbour installation in Ottawa on Monday, June 8, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

FILE - The Gordie Howe Bridge is shown under construction between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

FILE - Canadian and American flags are shown on the Gordie Howe Bridge under construction between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)