Research for Developing Easy to Swallow Meds

Researchers at the University of Surrey and University of College London developed the test to examine how small multi-particulates can ease the travel of medicine from the mouth into the throat and body.

The new test lets scientists easily screen different compositions of the carrier liquid and concentration of the particulates, in order to make swallowing as easy as possible.

Many young children and older people find conventional tablets hard to swallow – making it difficult for them to complete drug therapy. We hope that this in vitro method, together with sensory tests, will help to develop novel medicines that could improve the lives of many people across the world,-Dr Marco Ramaioli, senior lecturerat the University of Surrey and co-author of the study, said.

It is exciting to see advancements in age appropriate medicine design such as multi-particulate systems but successful therapeutic outcomes rely on the development of appropriate administration vehicles,-Professor Catherine Tuleufrom UCL School of Pharmacy commented.

The availability of predictive models to characterise the promising formulation platforms early during medicine development is key to producing medicines that are easier to take for patients with different swallowing capabilities,-Dr Mine Orlu, also from UCL School of Pharmacy, added.

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