Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
04:28
Utilizing an Orally Dissolving Strip for Pharmacological and Toxicological Studies: A Simple and Humane Alternative to Oral Gavage for Animals
Published on: March 23, 2016
Rapidly disintegrating oramucosal drug delivery technologies
Deshika Reddy1, Viness Pillay, Yahya E Choonara
1Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Pharmaceutical Development and Technology
|November 4, 2009
Summary
Rapidly disintegrating oral drug delivery systems offer enhanced patient compliance, especially for pediatrics and geriatrics. These oramucosal systems eliminate the need for water, improving drug administration efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology and Pharmaceutics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Patient compliance is a key goal for drug delivery systems, alongside targeted delivery.
- Rapidly disintegrating oramucosal drug delivery systems are gaining attention for their ease of use.
- These systems dissolve upon contact with saliva, negating the need for water, which benefits specific patient populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the formulation, technologies, and applications of rapidly disintegrating oramucosal drug delivery systems.
- To discuss the physiological and anatomical considerations of the oral cavity for oramucosal delivery.
- To explore current and developing technologies in this field.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on oramucosal drug delivery technologies.
- Analysis of formulation strategies and drug release mechanisms for rapidly disintegrating systems.
- Discussion of challenges in in vitro and in vivo testing methodologies.
Main Results:
- Oramucosal systems offer water-free administration, improving compliance in infants, pediatrics, and geriatrics.
- Various technologies for rapidly disintegrating oral films and tablets are available or under development.
- Accurate disintegration and dissolution testing presents challenges, with novel methods being explored.
Conclusions:
- Rapidly disintegrating oramucosal drug delivery systems represent a significant advancement in patient-centric drug administration.
- Understanding oral cavity physiology and employing appropriate testing methods are crucial for successful development.
- These systems hold promise for improving therapeutic outcomes across diverse patient groups.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Drug Delivery Systems: Different Types
Conventional oral drug products, termed immediate-release (IR) formulations, are engineered to promptly release their active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) upon ingestion, typically in tablets or capsules. This rapid release often results in swift drug absorption and consequent pharmacodynamic effects, although the timing and intensity can vary depending on the drug's properties. Prodrugs within these formulations require metabolic conversion to activate their pharmacodynamic effects,...
01:23Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Introduction
Oral drug delivery is the most common route of administration due to its convenience, cost-effectiveness, and high patient compliance. It enables precise formulation to ensure proper drug dosage and bioavailability. The development of oral dosage forms considers drug properties such as solubility, stability, and absorption to optimize therapeutic efficacy.Tablets, capsules, liquids, and chewable formulations enhance drug stability, mask undesirable tastes, and improve patient experience.
01:11Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Delayed-Release Systems
Delayed-release drug delivery systems are specialized pharmaceutical formulations designed to postpone the release of active compounds until the drug reaches a specific region of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, typically the intestine. These systems are essential for drugs that may cause gastric irritation, are unstable in acidic environments, or need to exert therapeutic effects locally in the intestinal or colonic regions.The core feature of delayed-release systems is the use of enteric...
01:26Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Continuous-Release Systems
Continuous-release drug delivery systems offer a strategic approach to maintaining therapeutic drug levels over extended periods following oral administration. By modulating the release rate of active pharmaceutical ingredients, these systems minimize fluctuations in plasma concentrations, which enhances clinical efficacy and reduces the need for frequent dosing. Such characteristics make them particularly advantageous in managing chronic diseases where patient adherence and stable drug...
01:22Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Rate-Programmed I
Rate-programmed drug delivery systems (DDS) are designed to release drugs at specific, controlled rates to maintain consistent therapeutic levels. These systems are categorized based on their release mechanisms, including dissolution-controlled DDS, diffusion-controlled DDS, and combined dissolution-diffusion-controlled DDS.In dissolution-controlled DDS, the release rate depends on the slow dissolution of the drug itself or the surrounding matrix. Drugs with inherently slow dissolution rates,...
01:18Drug Delivery: Enteral Route
The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
Drugs in...
Drugs in...