Proposed Tool to Compare and Assess the Applicability of Taste Assessment Techniques for Pharmaceuticals

Palatability is amongst the most important determinants of whether or not a child will take a medicine. In order to increase concordance with treatment regimens it is often necessary to utilise a range of formulation techniques to improve the palatability of medicines. These can include selecting a different molecule or version of a molecule (such as a different polymorph or salt form), various taste masking techniques and/or the inclusion of flavours and sweeteners. In order to be able to understand the taste of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and to validate the formulation approach used, it is necessary to be able to use the most reliable taste evaluation method possible. Multiple in vivo and in vitro methods exist nowadays or are proposed in the literature but are often little understood by the pharmaceutical product development community. In particular, different methods may be more relevant at different stages of product development. The aim of this article is to propose a tool to guide the selection of the most appropriate method for the desired evaluation. A spreadsheet-based tool is proposed that is designed to allow the systematic assessment of the applicability of any taste assessment technique existing or new to the users proposed application. A series of criteria are defined that will allow the user to assess the analytical, usability and availability factors for the technique that is being considered. Such a systematic review will help the user to understand the benefits and risks of using each methodology for that application. The use of the tool is illustrated based on currently available data and literature. As new/existing methods are developed/improved, the outcomes of the tool may change.