As a drug carrier, oral thin films have attracted increasing attention in the field of drug delivery due to their ability to safely load medications and release them in a controlled manner, which improves drug efficacy. They are more consistent with patient compliance and alternative to oral drug delivery employing self-application, prolonged action, and quick termination if drug toxicity is produced. CD Formulation provides professional development and characterization services for oral film drug delivery systems.
With a wide range of suitable drug compounds that are capable of being loaded into oral thin films, the therapeutic application of oral thin films rapidly increased, with more and more potential patient groups benefiting from using oral thin films as the delivery platform in recent years, including cardiovascular diseases, pain disorders, oral inflammation, nausea and vomiting, mood or mental disorders, respiratory system, erectile dysfunction and pulmonary diseases, etc.
Fig.1 Therapeutic applications of orodispersible films (ODFs) delivered. (Yu Tian, et al., 2023)
Some oral thin film products are becoming commercially available for treating sore throats, relieving pain in the mouth and gums, schizophrenia, etc.
Commercial Name | Film Type | Usage |
Chloraseptic® Sore Throat Relief Strips | Monolayered ODFs | Sore throat |
Orajel® Toothache Strips | Monolayered ODFs | Relieving the pain of the mouth and gums |
Olanzapine RapidFilm™ | Monolayered ODFs | Schizophrenia |
Zolmitriptan RapidFilm™ | Monolayered ODFs | Migraine |
Onsolis®/Breakyl® | Bi-layered buccal soluble film | Breakthrough pain in patients with cancer |
CD Formulation can help customers develop oral thin films suitable for a variety of potential patients. Oral thin films can be formulated and designed to obtain either local or systemic absorption, including:
Some of these drugs may suffer from extensive first-pass metabolism after oral administration, thus leading to low bioavailability. Studies have found that incorporating cardiovascular drugs into oral thin films can significantly avoid the acceptance effect and greatly improve patient compliance, especially for hypertensive patients after stroke.
As the fast onset of action of drugs is highly required for treating pain disorders, the combination of analgesia with oral thin films can provide more rapid relief for acute pain.
Mood and mental disorders include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, neuroses, psychoses, and schizophrenia. As the administration of oral thin films doesn't need any water and can be easily applied, oral thin films are more suitable for treating these disorders.
The primary treatment for respiratory system diseases now is injection. However, long-term drug administration, low patient compliance, high doses, and frequent dosing intervals all contribute to the rising risk of drug resistance. Using oral thin film as a carrier has become an ideal dosage for treating respiratory diseases.
Oral thin films for antihistamines are a relatively new and innovative way to deliver allergy relief and manage symptoms of histamine-related conditions.
Oral thin film technology for the delivery of erectile dysfunction medications has become a potential alternative to traditional oral pills, which has the advantages of rapid onset, accurate dosing, ease of administration, discreetness and convenience.
Our team of experts delivers a full range of services, from initial concept development to commercialization, to support the development of innovative and effective oral thin film drug products.
Technology: Preparation of an oral thin film containing meclizine hydrochloride
Journal: International Journal of Pharmaceutics
IF: 5.3
Published: 2015
Results: A commercial product (Zentrip®) was developed for people who suffered from motion sickness. To improve the mechanical strength of Zentrip®, OTF containing meclizine hydrochloride (MH) was designed and prepared using the solvent casting method.
Fig.2 Preparation of an oral thin film containing meclizine hydrochloride. (Yuan Zhao, et al., 2021)
CD Formulation has extensive experience in developing and producing oral thin films, and we are equipped with a wide range of high-performance industrial equipment for the contract production of oral thin films. If you require our oral thin film for medical areas services, please contact us by phone or email, and our colleagues will get back to you within three working days.
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