flavoring of user-friendly oral dosage forms
Given the inherently bad taste of many active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and nutrients, an important part of developing oral dosage formulations is the use of flavoring excipients and taste-masking technologies. This is particularly true for our user-friendly dosage forms, which spend longer in the mouth and are tasted more thoroughly.
Developing a product’s flavor can be a complex task and many factors should be considered. For instance:
- Taste preferences among patients and consumers differ significantly by age and geographical location
- Some APIs and flavoring excipients work better together than others – for example, sour-tasting APIs are best matched with sour-flavoring excipients, such as citrus
- Aldehydes, which give most flavors their characteristic tastes, can cause instability in some oral dosage forms and shorten shelf life and product performance
- Similar flavor excipients from different suppliers can vary in chemical makeup, which may affect the final product in different ways
At HERMES PHARMA, our experienced formulation scientists have an extensive understanding of the nuances of taste and work closely with customers to develop products that will be accepted by patients and consumers.
We develop custom flavors for our dosage forms. Through the addition of sugars and sweeteners, sometimes in combination with taste-masking technologies, we create great tasting formulations that work in harmony with the API/nutrient and dosage form they are designed for. We source our flavoring excipients from trusted suppliers and ensure that quality is built into every product we develop.
It’s this combination of insight and innovation that underpins our 40-year track record of excellence.
