Abstract

Oral fast dissolving films have carved a niche in the pharmaceutical industry and are giving a competitive edge as compared to other dosage forms as an innovative drug delivery. Pfizer introduced Listerine melt in mouth pocket packs to overcome the limitations of other dosage forms. Since then a large number of pharmaceutical industries are casting light upon this drug delivery with attributing to its major contribution in the market share by gaining wide consumer acceptance over a large population. Modification of a tablet dosage form to avoid the risk of dysphasia, elimination of water, easy portability and choking in pediatrics and geriatrics, by formulating fast disintegrating films ensures quick release of the drug within negligible time and has proven to be an effective treatment particularly during nausea, parkinson’s disease and other emergency conditions. Presently, oral films have gained entry to the market as breath freshener, anti-histamines, vitamin supplements, anti-emetics and pain relieving drugs. Fast dissolving films have the potential to deliver a drug systemically via buccal, sublingual or palatal delivery. Sublingual films are superior over the buccal films due to relatively thin area of the sublingual region which provides rapid onset of action, since the drug enters the bloodstream directly via the veins attached to the sublingual gland and eliminates first pass metabolism. Further, addition of bioadhesive polymers along with superdisintegrants provides faster disintegration ensuring rapid release of the drug during emergency conditions. Thus sublingual films proved to be a promising and effective drug delivery.

Keywords: Bioadhesive hydrophilic polymers, enhanced bioavailability, fast dissolving films, membrane thickness, patents, sublingual absorption.