European perspectives on pediatric formulations.

BACKGROUND: The 2007 European Union (EU) regulation on medicinal products for pediatric use may change the present unsatisfying situation in the EU by stimulating research and development of medicines for use in children through rewards and incentives.
OBJECTIVES: This commentary reflects on the new EU regulations and guidelines, with special attention paid to the impact on pediatric formulation science. The focus of this article is on the EU perspective for pediatric formulations and highlights the differences compared with the pediatric drug formulation situation in the United States.
METHODS: Materials for this article were gathered during a literature search of MEDLINE and Chemical Abstracts (1970-October 2008) using the following terms: paediatric/pediatric drug formulations, age-appropriate dosage forms, child-appropriate medicines, and paediatric/pediatric regulation.
RESULTS: Since the EU legislation on medicines for children came into force in 2007, a great emphasis has been placed on creating new organizations, scientific networks, and programs dealing with pediatric medicines and child-appropriate drug formulations. Although the US legislation was an appropriate model, the EU introduced some novel measures to improve the current situation, such as the Paediatric Investigation Plan and the Paediatric Use Marketing Authorisation. For globally operating pharmaceutical companies, the peculiarities of the European market have a strong impact on their product development strategies. Because the European approach demands early investigations into drug formulations for children, various issues must be resolved, including the following: choosing formulations for each age group, determining which excipients may be used in the formulation and which delivery device is appropriate, and predicting the taste sensation of an oral formulation. Numerous initiatives and networks are evolving in Europe. An important future task will be the coordination of these activities and the linking to other groups working on pediatric formulations outside the EU.
CONCLUSION: Similar to the research in pediatric drug formulations that was stimulated by the US legislation and incentives of the last decade, the 2007 EU legislation promises improvements in the availability of child-appropriate drugs in Europe.