Formulation Development Challenges
The formulation stage of drug development determines which chemical substances to combine along with the active drug to produce a final pharmaceutical product. This is also where the drug’s type (pill, liquid, topical, etc.) and dosage are finalized.
The key during the formulation development stage of the process is to develop a stable drug acceptable to the patient. Orally administered drugs formulated in tablet or capsule form contain additional substances. Because of this, those drugs must be studied to ensure that the drug itself is compatible with the other added substances in a way that does not interact negatively, whether directly or indirectly, with the medicine. In this early stage of drug development, time is of the essence.