How can oral paediatric formulations be improved? A challenge for the XXI century

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Pediatric Medicine
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Paediatric oral formulations require significant improvement to ensure patient safety and efficacy.
• Lack of approved paediatric medicines leads to off-label prescribing, increasing adverse drug reaction risks.
• Product acceptability, influenced by user and product characteristics, is vital for paediatric medication formulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of paediatric oral formulations, focusing on palatability challenges.
• To discuss innovative approaches for improving the palatability of paediatric medicines.
• To highlight advancements in developing specialized paediatric drug delivery systems.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on paediatric oral formulation development.
• Analysis of regulatory guidelines for paediatric medicine specialization.
• Exploration of innovative palatability enhancement techniques.

Main Results:

• Oral solid dosage forms are preferred over liquids for improved stability and shelf-life.
• Palatability and size remain significant challenges for paediatric solid dosage forms.
• Innovative methods like crystal engineering, candy-like forms, and 3D printing show promise.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing palatability is essential for improving medication compliance in children.
• Novel approaches are necessary to overcome existing palatability issues in paediatric formulations.
• Crystal engineering, novel pharmaceutical forms, and 3D printing offer promising avenues for paediatric drug development.