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Tablets & Capsules March 2018 31 improve ODT quality, pharmaceutical excipient manufacturers are developing novel excipients as well as c o m b i n i n g a l r e a d y - e x i s t i n g e x c i p i e n t s . T h e s e co-processed excipients (Table 2) are designed to improve the formulation's or final product's flowability, compressibility, hygroscopicity, palatability, dissolution, and/or disintegration properties. Market outlook As the pharmaceutical market faces increasing financial pressure, pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing their manufacturing processes, expanding production capacities, and adopting innovative drug development techniques such as 3D printing, freeze drying, spray drying, molding, sublimation, mass extrusion, and direct compression to develop ODTs and optimize their marketed products. In the coming years, these trends should lead to the more widespread adoption of novel technologies in pharmaceutical manufacturing and drive growth in the market for SODFs. T&C Awanish Kumar Pandey is a senior analyst in the healthcare domain at MarketsandMarkets Research (www. marketsandmarkets.com). ODTs In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has seen increasing development of orally disintegrating or orodispersible tablets (ODTs) due to their growing use for pediatric, geriatric, and psychiatric patients with dysphagia. Many patients accept and often prefer ODTs because the tablets easily dissolve or disintegrate in the mouth. Other factors driving ODT market growth include improved tablet stability, adequate dissolution rates, faster and easier production processes, increased bioavailability or rapid absorption, and smaller packaging. Many pharmaceutical companies are developing numerous ODTs using basic manufacturing technologies such as freeze drying, spray drying, molding, sublimation, mass extrusion, and direct compression. To Table 2 Commercially co-processed excipients for ODTs Co-processed excipient Company Pharmaburst 500 SPI Pharma (US) Ludiflash BASF (Germany) Ludipress BASF (Germany) MicroceLac 100 Meggle (Germany)