The first reason why MR is attracting drug developers is due to their low development costs. In addition to this, there is a reduced risk associated with developing products with improved properties based on existing molecules.
MR also offers drug developers the opportunity to repurpose existing drug substances to design innovative products that better meet patient’s medical needs.
Benefits such as high therapeutic efficacy, better patient compliance, and reduced treatment costs are high drivers for exploring MR formulations. Healthcare professionals are also exploring more options in dosage form development that lower dosing frequency, which is driving an increase in patient demand for MR.
The leading methods for dosing these formulations tend to be oral solid dosage forms such as modified release coated pellets and matrix tablets. Coated pellets are highly versatile, meaning dosages and release characteristics can easily be adjusted to enhance swallowability and boost patient compliance.
While less versatile, matrix tablets are also capable of providing the desired release profile with the manufacturing process remaining much less complex than for pellets, making them an increasingly popular choice for manufacturers. In a recent Q&A with EPM Magazine, our experts at Recipharm, Torkel Gren and Phillippe Gorria, discuss current innovations in Modified Release (MR) drug manufacture for Oral Solid Dosage (OSD) products.