A liquid composition which comprises an organic liquid diluent and a hydroxyalkyl methylcellulose which has a certain distribution of substituted hydroxyalkoxyl groups and unsubstituted hydroxyalkoxyl groups is stable over an extended time period. In the hydroxyalkyl methylcellulose hydroxyalkoxyl groups are classified into a fraction (A) and a fraction (B) wherein fraction (A) represents the sum of all molar fractions of substituted hydroxyalkoxyl groups having hydroxyl groups substituted further with methoxyl groups and fraction (B) represents the sum of all molar fractions of unsubstituted hydroxyalkoxyl groups having hydroxyl groups not substituted further with methoxyl groups and wherein the ratio fraction (A)/fraction (B) is at least 0.30. The liquid composition is useful for preparing a solid dispersion comprising at least one active ingredient in at least one hydroxypropyl methylcellulose by spray drying.
