Concept of fast dissolving formulations for use in acute treatment conditions – introspection, thoughts and perspectives

Abstract

In a recent issue of AJP, Ranagasamy et al. (2009) have
provided a succulent report on the development of a
fast dissolving tablet of terbutaline sulfate for possible
human use in the timely management of asthmatic
episodes.[1] The design and evaluation part of the work
suggested that careful consideration was taken from the
selection of excipients until the dissolution testing of
the tablets to confirm its intended utility.[1] However,
an important missing link in this work was to confirm
whether or not such a system would work under in
vivo conditions to ensure rapid drug delivery has not
been compromised. Hence, it need to be questioned
and challenged when emphatic conclusion stating
that “the new fast dissolving terbutaline formulation
is better than the conventional tablet dosage form
used in the management of asthma†has been made
in the published work without adequate support to
back it up.[1] While it is acknowledged that it may be
difficult for academic/research institutions or fledgling
biotechs to perform in vivo evaluations due to the lack
of resources, trained personnel and/or funding issues,
in some extraordinary cases it may be a good idea to
explore testing of the new formulation in a preclinical
model for getting clarity on the in vivo performance of
the new formulation. Needless to say, the final utility
of the innovation and design of the new formulation is
solely dependent on its in vivo performance.