Overview of excipients commonly used (particularly in oral dosage forms)
Role of Key Tablet Excipients
Diluents (fillers, bulking agents), Disintegrants, Binders, Lubricants, Glidants
Role of Key Liquid/Suspension Excipients
Solvents/co-solvents , Buffering agents, Preservatives, Anti-oxidants, Wetting agents, Anti-foaming agents, Thickening agents, Sweetening agents, Flavouring agents, Humectants
Drug products contain both drug substance (commonly referred to as active pharmaceutical ingredient or API) and excipients.
The resultant biological, chemical and physical properties of the drug product are directly affected by the excipients chosen, their concentration and interactions with the API:
Excipients are sub-divided into various functional classifications, depending on the role that they are intended to play in the resultant formulation.
Certain excipients can have different functional roles in different formulation types,
e.g. lactose; widely used as:
a diluent, filler or bulking agent in tablets and capsules
a carrier for dry powder inhalation products.
In addition, individual excipients can have different grades, types and sources depending on those different functional roles….
