Abstract

Optimization of experiments, such as those used in drug discovery is useful for saving scientific resources. As bioavailability, practical mass production criteria of process and product reproducibility are foremost requirements of any final product and to meet these requirements optimization of production process is a necessary step. The main goal of this chapter is to provide different approaches of optimization and important features, strengths and limitations of optimization techniques like factorial design, Taguchi design, response surface methodology, simplex lattice design that used for the optimization of fast dissolving drug delivery systems. Factorial design is the design of choice for simultaneous determination of the effect of several factors and their interactions while Taguchi method reduces the variation in a process through robust design of experiments. Response surface methodology is a collection of statistical and mathematical techniques useful for developing, improving and optimizing processes. Simplex lattice can be used to determine the relative proportion of ingredients and optimizes a formulation with respect to specified variables.

Keywords: Factorial design, optimization, response surface methodology, simples design, taguchi design.