Playing hide and seek with poorly tasting paediatric medicines: do not forget the excipients.

The development of paediatric medicines can be challenging since this is a diverse patient population with specific needs. For example, the toxicity of excipients may differ in children compared to adults and children have different taste preferences. Acceptable palatability of oral paediatric medicinal products is of great importance to facilitate patient adherence.

Development of mini-tablets with 1mm and 2mm diameter.

The feasibility of formulating mini-tablets with 1mm diameter on a rotary-die press in comparison to mini-tablets of 2mm was investigated. To gain insight into the production of 1mm mini-tablets, three model drugs of different compression characteristics were chosen, namely quinine hydrochloride, ibuprofen and spray-dried gentian extract. A high drug load in combination with robust and reproducible mechanical properties was requested.

Development of a taste-masked generic ibuprofen suspension: top-down approach guided by electronic tongue measurements.

Electronic tongues are sensor array systems that are increasingly being used in the field of pharmaceutics to provide taste assessment data of formulations. The applicability of an electronic tongue in the development of a taste masked generic ibuprofen suspension, starting from a commercial taste masked product, was evaluated in this study. The initial screening study on 3 proprietary and 11 generic products showed that sensors of the taste sensing system TS-5000Z could clearly detect differences between the products.

A comparative study on two electronic tongues for pharmaceutical formulation development.

Electronic tongues are sensor array systems which are able to determine single substances as well as complex mixtures of various substances. They are increasingly used for taste assessment of pharmaceutical formulations. Two systems are available on the market, the AlphaMOS electronic tongue Astree2 and the Insent taste sensing system TS-5000Z.

Taste sensing systems (electronic tongues) for pharmaceutical applications.

Electronic tongues are sensor array systems able to detect single substances as well as complex mixtures by means of particular sensor membranes and electrochemical techniques. Two systems are already commercially available, the Insent taste sensing system and the αAstree electronic tongue. In addition, various laboratory prototype versions exist.

Rational development of taste masked oral liquids guided by an electronic tongue.

Human taste testing is often associated with ethical concerns, organizational and validation issues. Electrochemical sensor array systems, so called electronic tongues, offer an alternative to assess the taste of multi-component liquid formulations. Therefore, it should be investigated how an electronic tongue can be implemented in the rational development of taste masked formulations.

Performance qualification of an electronic tongue based on ICH guideline Q2.

Recent progress in sensor technology has led to the development and application of electronic taste sensing systems. Especially taste prediction of pharmaceutical formulations is a matter of particular interest and is increasingly performed using electronic tongues. Several studies have dealt with electronic tongues before, but an analytical approach describing successfully conducted qualification has not been reported yet.