Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/477622
A 16 March 2015 Tablets & Capsules oral films Using dissolvable films to deliver new and existing APIs N.E. Gupta ccording to a January 2014 report from BCC Re - search, global revenue of the drug delivery market totaled $182 billion in 2013 and is forecast to reach nearly $213 billion by 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 3.2 percent [1]. Drivers of this growth include the clinical need for better delivery and the business need for extend- ing drug products' lifecycles. Among the most promising delivery technologies are oral soluble films, which are helpful in treating patients who find other oral forms difficult to swallow, dislike injections, or suffer from impaired motor function. The films also help mitigate the effect of patent expirations by enabling pharmaceutical companies to rejuvenate existing products. Decline of blockbusters Not long ago, pharmaceutical companies focused on formulating blockbuster drug products, those with annual sales of $1 billion or more. But as the number of block- buster targets has dwindled, companies are re-evaluating the delivery of their APIs, either by combining them with other APIs or by offering them in different forms. Con - Tablets and capsules remain the most popular and accepted dosage forms, but orally dissolving films also offer advantages, including patient convenience and lifecycle extension. This arti- cle outlines the dosage form's advantages and discusses the basics of formulation and manufacture.