Excipients with specialized functions for effective drug delivery.

INTRODUCTION: There is a growing need for the development of pharmaceutical excipients that could improve product performance and overcome the shortcomings of new drug moieties, such as their poor solubility and membrane permeability, as well as to aid with modern manufacturing processes. AREAS COVERED: Different types of functional excipients are discussed in this paper, in terms of their roles in modern dosage forms to optimize drug delivery and manufacturability. Functions of specialized excipients that are covered in this article include the enhancement of drug membrane permeability, the improvement of drug solubility and stability, the regulation of drug release in response to feedback mechanisms and assistance with the production of dosage forms. EXPERT OPINION: Modern drug delivery systems rely on sophisticated excipients with multiple functions to improve overall product performance. The excipient market is expected to grow substantially with emerging trends in the development of these advanced drug delivery systems.