www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale Downloaded From IP - 54.90.175.115 on dated 24-Jul-2022 Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 6(9): September 2013 941 ISSN 0974-3618 www.rjptonline.org REVIEW ARTICLE Orodispersible Tablets: A review on Formulation Development Technologies and Strategies Anjan K. Mahapatra, Ranjit P. Swain, B. Revathi, N. Nirisha, P.N. Murthy Maharajah’s College of Pharmacy, Phool Baugh, Vizianagaram - 535 002, INDIA Royal College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Berhampur, Odisha, INDIA *Corresponding Author E-mail: anjanmahapatra@gmail.com ABSTRACT: Recent advances in novel drug delivery systems aimed in designing dosage forms which are convenient for manufacturing and administration, with fewer side effects, offering immediate release, with enhanced bioavailability thereby achieving better patient compliance. Orodispersible tablets (ODTs) is one such novel approach which helps to increase user acceptance by virtue of rapid disintegration, self administration without water or chewing. ODTs are solid unit dosage forms like the conventional tablets containing super disintegrants, which help them to disintegrate and/or disperse rapidly in the mouth within few seconds. In this review the authors highlighted on different criteria for selection of formulation excipients, technologies as conventional or patented and challenges to generate new strategies. Thus these formulations are particularly beneficial to the pediatric and geriatric patients affected by dysphagia. These tablets get converted into a suspension with the salivary fluid in the oral cavity thereby showing rapid onset of action with improved bioavailability. ODTs with good taste and flavor increases the acceptability of bitter drugs by patients, hence optimization of taste and flavor is a critical issue in these formulations. Better bioavailability and patient compliance along with several other benefits are the reasons for gained interest by industries for formulation development. KEYWORDS: Orodispersible tablets, Superdisintegrants, Techniques, Excipients and Evaluation. INTRODUCTION: Oral dosing remains the preferred mode of administration for many types of medication owing to its simplicity, versatility, convenience, and patient acceptability .(1) But difficulty in swallowing of some oral solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules is common among all age groups. (2) Due to fear of choking, many pediatric, geriatric, bed ridden , nauseous and non compliant patients are unwilling to take these solid preparations. (3,4) Inconvenience in swallowing conventional dosage forms is also seen in travelling patients who do not have ready access to water and in various physiological and neurological conditions like dysphagia, motion sickness (kinetosis), persistent nausea, sudden episodes of coughing during the common cold, allergic conditions, bronchitis and hand tremors . (5, 6) This leads to non compliance and ineffective therapy. (7) In order to solve the above problem and to improve patient acceptance orodispersible tablets (ODT) were developed. (8) ODTs are also called as Mouth dissolving tablets, quick- disintegrating tablets, Orally disintegrating tablets , fast- disintegrating tablets, fast dissolving tablets, rapid- dissolving tablets, porous tablets, and rapimelts. (9) Received on 24.06.2013 Modified on 02.07.2013 Accepted on 04.07.2013 © RJPT All right reserved Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 6(9): September 2013; Page 941-953 United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defined ODT as “A solid dosage form containing medicinal substance or active ingredient which disintegrates rapidly usually within a matter of seconds when placed upon the tongue.” (10) The disintegration time for ODTs generally ranges from several seconds to about a minute. Now these fast disintegrating or ODT tablets are official to European pharmacopoeia. The term ‘Orodispersible Tablet’ as appears in European Pharmacopoeia is defined as ‘‘uncovered tablet for Buccal cavity, where it disperses before ingestion’’. (11) European Pharmacopoeia also specifies that the ODTs should disintegrate within 3 minutes when subjected to conventional disintegration test used for tablets and capsules. (12) The Mouth dissolving tablets disperse or disintegrate upon contact with the saliva in less than 60 seconds and quickly release their components without mastication or water, forming a solution or suspension which is easy to swallow. (13,14) Use of superdisintegrants provide instantaneous disintegration of the tablet after putting it on the tongue ,there by releasing the drug into the saliva. (15) As the saliva passes down into the stomach, some drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation from the mouth, pharynx and esophagus or it can be swallowed as a solution to be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract thereby exerting rapid onset of action. (16)