The ability to easily swallow tablets, capsules and other oral dosage forms can dramatically affect rates of patient safety and compliance for oral medications that are targeted for immediate release. In addition to the need to address potential swallowability issues for pediatric or geriatric patients, many people are affected by a swallowing disorder known as Dysphagia that can occur due to medical conditions within the oral cavity, the pharynx, the esophagus or the gastro-esophageal junction. Multiple regulatory agencies now highlight the importance of pharmaceutical companies developing oral drug products for immediate release in dosage forms that have proven easy swallowability. Studies have found that EUDRAGIT® polymers have highly attractive characteristics to improve swallowability, including non-sticking tendencies and the maintenance of coating integrity during the passage of the dosage form through the oropharyngeal tract. In addition to having smooth, glossy surfaces, immediate release EUDRAGIT® polymers can deliver reliable functionality even with coating levels as thin as 10-20 μm to minimize dosage size and improve production efficiencies.

The taste, texture and smell of an oral solid dosage form can make all the difference when it comes to maintaining a high level of preference amongst target patient populations, in particular infants or children. EUDRAGIT® E polymers for immediate release are widely used by pharmaceutical companies to mask the taste or odor of their oral drug products. In addition to having a neutral taste and smell, they have a smooth, pleasant feel in the mouth with minimal amounts of polymer typically required to obtain the desired functionality. Evonik is also able to leverage decades of immediate release experience for tailoring dosage forms to match the specific taste and odor masking requirements of target population segments including infants, children, teenagers, adults and the elderly.

Environmental factors including temperature, humidity, oxygen and light can significantly change the quality of a drug substance or drug product over time. Exposure to such factors may reduce drug functionality, generate impurities, reduce product stability or result in discoloration of the dosage form. Evonik specializes in the development of oral solid dosage forms that leverage functional coatings, techniques and packaging solutions to optimize the shelf life of drug products. We will find the right balance between substrate size, shape and coating thickness with our EUDRAGIT® polymers to attain the target protective functionality without compromising immediate drug release properties.