inhibitor required to reduce an aurora kinase enzymatic activity is less than about 1 u03bcm less than about 500 nm less than about 100 nm or less than about 50 nm in one aspect the present invention provides methods of preparing a pharmaceutical composition comprising the steps of a 1 wet granulating at least one active ingredient and optionally one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients independently selected from the group consisting of surfactants binders and disintegrants in the presence of a suitable solvent to form a wet mixture a 2 drying the wet mixture from step a 1 to form dried granules a 3 milling the dried granules from step a 2 to form milled granules and a 4 blending the milled granules from step a 3 with a buffer and optionally one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients independently selected from the group consisting of surfactants binders disintegrants lubricants and glidants wherein a filler is added during step a 1 during step a 4 or during both steps a 1 and a 4 in a further embodiment the methods of the invention also comprise the step of b 1 loading the resulting mixture from step a 4 into a capsule in another further embodiment the methods of the invention comprise the step of c 1 tabletting the resulting mixture from step a 4 to form a tablet in some embodiments the methods of the invention comprise adding a lubricant during step a 4 and then c 1 tableting the resulting mixture from.