Over the years, rising complexity of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) has led to the development of a myriad of novel formulations that enable efficient drug delivery to the intended site of action. Nonetheless, the demand for oral solid dosage (OSD) forms, including tablets and capsules, remains unparalleled.
In fact, over two-thirds of the total drugs prescribed worldwide are dispensed in the form of oral solids. In addition to being cost effective and relatively more stable as compared to their large molecule counterparts, these orally administered small molecules are patient-centric, and therefore play a critical role in fixing the drug adherence problem.
Since the demand for oral solid drugs is rising, the development of modified oral solid dosage formulations (including disintegrating tablets (ODTs), combination products and prolonged-, controlled-, and sustained- release dosage forms) that can improve API solubility and enhance bioavailability can offer the drug developers a huge opportunity to stand out in this mature and competitive market.
However, the manufacturing of specialized solid doses, especially those containing highly potent APIs, from early development formulations to scale-up is a complex process that requires multidisciplinary expertise.
Consequently, drug developers are increasingly relying on contract service providers with specialized equipment and a trained workforce to navigate the technical and routine operations-related challenges, including those associated with complex formulations, stringent regulatory requirements and multiple suppliers.
Considering the immense popularity of oral solid dosage forms, especially amongst the pediatric and geriatric populations, we believe that the demand for conventional as well as modified oral solid dosage formulations is likely to drive commendable growth within the contract manufacturing market in the coming years.