A novel polymorph of the antidepressant drug venlafaxine hydrochloride (VenHCl) was visualized in thermal microscopyand identified by variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction at 180-190
C. Its single-crystal X-ray structure was solved and refinedsatisfactorily in
P2
1/
n space group (form 6,
Z' = 2,
T = 100 K,
R1 = 0.1073). The powder X-ray diffraction pattern and melting point ofform 6 are significantly different from the known polymorphs 1-5. Form 6 has a higher melting point and is more stable than marketeddrug forms 1 and 2.