Pharmaceutical Formulations for Older Patients – Part 2
See the new book, edited by Mine Orlu, Fang Liu
- Provides a better understanding on the EMA reflection paper on pharmaceutical development for older patients
- Details reasons for applying advanced pharmaceutical technologies for the benefit of the ageing population
- Discusses Advanced pharmaceutical technologies for their potential use in older adults for medication optimization
Description
Pharmaceutical formulation design affects patient acceptability/adherence and pharmacokinetics of the drug. This is particularly important for older patients because of the physiological changes due to ageing and clinical/social circumstances related to medicine taking.
This book provides a comprehensive review in the design of formulations to meet the needs of older patients. An overview of the key clinical, social and pharmaceutical factors affecting medication optimization, safety and acceptability in older adults is included, followed by patient-centric considerations including regulatory requirements, dosage form design and human factor studies.
Advanced pharmaceutical technologies are discussed for their potential use in older adults such as 3D printing, long-acting oral formulations and novel vaccine technologies. The unique focus of the book will be of interest to pharmaceutical scientists in both industry and academia in searching for better formulations for older patients.
Chapter 6
Advanced Oral Sustained-Release Drug Delivery Systems for Older Patients
Oral drug delivery remains the route of preference in the general population due to the convenience of administration. Older adults have unique and complex needs presented by an increase in morbidity in addition to a deterioration in swallowing capability and reduced capacity to adhere to complex dosing regimens. Conventional approaches to aid older adults and improve medication usability such as the prescribing of oral liquids or crushing of tablets can compromise the stability, efficacy and/or safety of medicines, calling for innovative approaches. Sustained-release dosage forms offer a potential opportunity for adherence improvement via dosing simplification, and there have been several recent advancements in this space to improve the accessibility and usability of medicines for older patients. The purpose of this chapter is to consider these advancements, outlining any potential benefits and drawbacks.
Patel, K., Liu, F. (2023). Advanced Oral Sustained-Release Drug Delivery Systems for Older Patients. In: Orlu, M., Liu, F. (eds) Pharmaceutical Formulations for Older Patients. AAPS Advances in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Series, vol 51. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35811-1_6
Chapter 7
3D Printing: Advancements in the Development of Personalised Pharmaceuticals for Older Adults
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a revolutionary additive manufacturing technology that constructs objects layer-by-layer. This versatile technology encompasses various processes and possesses unique properties. While originally not intended for this purpose, 3D printing has emerged as a promising approach for personalised pharmaceutical production, specifically Printlets™, which are customised dosage forms. The ageing population presents enduring challenges, and 3D printing offers innovative solutions tailored to this patient subgroup. These solutions encompass a wide range of dosage forms, including multi-drug formulations, orally disintegrating tablets, chewable medicines, multiparticulate systems, and formulations for visually or physically impaired patients. Moreover, besides solid oral dosage forms, 3D printing can also fabricate patient-specific devices for drug delivery via the auricular, topical, intravesical, or vaginal routes. This chapter provides an overview of different 3D printing technologies, highlights the various dosage forms suitable for older patients, and briefly discusses the integration of 3D printing with other advanced digital health technologies.
Awad, A., Januskaite, P., Alkahtani, M., Orlu, M., Basit, A.W. (2023). 3D Printing: Advancements in the Development of Personalised Pharmaceuticals for Older Adults. In: Orlu, M., Liu, F. (eds) Pharmaceutical Formulations for Older Patients. AAPS Advances in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Series, vol 51. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35811-1_7
Chapter 8
The Ageing Microbiome, Pharmaceutical Considerations, and Therapeutic Opportunities
Research in recent years has illuminated the importance of the microbiome for human wellbeing and healthy ageing. Numerous age-related conditions have now been linked to microbiome dysfunction, in which the symbiotic host-microbe relationship breaks down and disease ensues. Microbiome composition is being increasingly recognised as an indicator for healthy ageing. As microbiome composition changes over the life course, maintaining a healthy microbiome could be the key to promoting human health in later life. As such, the microbiome may represent a largely untapped therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of age-related conditions. Novel interventions include prevention of medication-induced dysbiosis and development of new microbiome-targeted therapeutics. Due to the personalised nature of the microbiome, innovative solutions will likely harness precision medicine techniques to meet the ageing microbiome at an individual level. Such strategies will require considered formulation design, development, and prescribing. This chapter will explore the key pharmaceutical considerations for achieving microbiome health in later life.
Favaron, A., McCoubrey, L.E., Elbadawi, M., Basit, A.W., Orlu, M. (2023). The Ageing Microbiome, Pharmaceutical Considerations, and Therapeutic Opportunities. In: Orlu, M., Liu, F. (eds) Pharmaceutical Formulations for Older Patients. AAPS Advances in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Series, vol 51. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35811-1_8
Chapter 9
Tailoring Vaccines for Older Individuals: Aging of the Immune System and the Impact on Vaccine Efficacy
Tailoring vaccines to the older population (>65 yrs) is an emerging subject that has gained momentum over the past decade. The vaccine efficacy of a formulation administered to young adults is often much higher than in older people. Therefore, there has been a clarion call for vaccines which show improved effectiveness in older individuals.
There is substantial evidence indicating that immunosenescence, which is aging of the immune system, causes dysfunction of the immune system and the associated components, which consequently impacts vaccine response. Therefore, vaccines need to be tailored with specific strategies designed to boost immune responses in older people, in order to achieve increased vaccine efficacy. Although several vaccine formulations have already been designed showing improved vaccine efficacy in older people, research into many more strategies is necessary and ongoing, to further enhance protection in the aging population.
Bashir, S., Wilson, M., Ashiru-Oredope, D., Murdan, S. (2023). Tailoring Vaccines for Older Individuals: Aging of the Immune System and the Impact on Vaccine Efficacy. In: Orlu, M., Liu, F. (eds) Pharmaceutical Formulations for Older Patients. AAPS Advances in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Series, vol 51. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35811-1_9
See the full book here:
Mine Orlu, Fang Liu, Pharmaceutical Formulations for Older Patients, DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35811-1, ISBN 978-3-031-35810-4, Published: 11 November 2023
See also the other chapters of the book here:
- Part 1 – is coming soon