FAST DISINTEGRATING TABLETS: A REVIEW ON AN EMERGING TREND IN NOVEL ORAL DRUG DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY AND NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

Fast disintegrating tablets (FDTs) have received ever-increasing demand during the last decade and the field has become a rapidly growing area in the pharmaceutical industry. Fast disintegrating tablets (FDTs) are those solid dosage forms when put on tongue, disintegrate or dissolve instantaneously, releasing the drug, within a few seconds without the need of water. Fast disintegrating tablets (FDTs) aim for designing dosage forms, convenient to be manufactured and administered, free of side effects, offering immediate release and enhanced bioavailability, to achieve better patient compliance. Fast disintegrating tablets have been formulated for pediatric, geriatric, and bedridden patients and for active patients who are busy and traveling and may not have access to water. Such formulations provide an opportunity for product life extension in the many elderly persons which have difficulty in taking conventional oral dosage form (viz., solutions, suspensions, tablets, and capsules) because of hand tremors and dysphagia.

The current article is focused on ideal requirements, need for development of FDTs, challenges in formulation, suitability of drug candidates, superdisintegrants employed, various technologies developed for FDTs, patented technologies like Wowtab, Durasolv, Orasolv, Flashtab, Zydis, Frosta technology, Nanocrystal technology which have gained importance in international market, evaluation methods and various marketed products.