Transmucosal Expertise

Advancing drug delivery

Despite the number of advantages associated with transmucosal drug delivery, the number of medicines delivered as buccal or sublingual formulations remains relatively low. We believe in the potential for improving medicines through transmucosal delivery and work to make the possibilities real.1

Our deep understanding of the oral mucosa has paved the way for Aquestive to develop novel permeation enhancers, stabilizers, and polymer blends that can boost the ability of active ingredients to penetrate the mucosa.

Optimizing transmucosal delivery with PharmFilm® technology

The proprietary compositional profiles of oral films delivered with PharmFilm® can be tailored to the buccal or sublingual microenvironment in order to achieve a desired rate of absorption. Aquestive’s formulation team uses the technology’s adaptable polymer matrix, along with FDA-approved permeation enhancers and novel solvent systems to help improve the bioavailability of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the speed at which it is released to the mucosa.

This makes film a viable delivery platform for a wide range of molecules, including those with low solubility (BCS Class II) or low bioavailability (BCS Class IV) as well as molecules that are highly soluble.

 

 

PharmFilm® technology product development planning

Our Research and Development team follows a strategic and robust development plan to test feasibility and determine the best route of administration for using PharmFilm® technology. Each product is carefully designed to provide meaningful advances for patients and caregivers. In our case study “Overcoming Solubility and Permeability Challenges,” the buccal mucosa was targeted as the ideal site of administration because of the large, highly permeable surface area and because the lower salivary flow provided the stable and controlled microenvironment needed to optimize adhesion, absorption, and onset of action, while also being the safest site of application for caregivers during breakthrough seizures.

How to overcome
formulation hurdles

Aquestive’s robust development planning integrates numerous physicochemical criteria, including:

Molecular structure

Needed to evaluate chemical compatibility: chemical and conformational challenges to transmucosal absorption

Bioavailability

Useful to understand potential improvement vs gastrointestinal absorption, and potential balance from mixed routes of absorption

Solubility and melting point

Helps design system (solubility is required for absorption)
Matrix design to control/manipulate recrystallization

Desired PK profile

Needed to design application site and vet penetration enhancers for flux vs speed

Woman in a laboratory withdrawing liquid from a bottle

Development services

Aquestive works hand-in-hand with our partners to address their toughest clinical and business challenges. Learn about the development services our team provides — drawing on decades of scientific and regulatory expertise, best-in-class formulation efficiency, and integrated clinical development capabilities to advance assets from early stage to commercial success.

Reference

1. Sattar M, Sayed OM, Lane ME. Oral transmucosal drug delivery—current status and future prospects. Int J Pharmaceutics. 2014;471(1-2):498-506.

Please complete this form:

  • To subscribe to receive information updates about products and services from Aquestive Therapeutics, or to receive information about Aquestive-sponsored clinical trials, please check the box below. Please also review our privacy policy, which describes how we use and process your data. You may also contact us at any time by emailing info@aquestive.com or by calling 1-908-941-1900.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Please complete the form below and click SEND to receive a copy of “Overcoming Solubility and Permeability Challenges,” a case study detailing the achievements made by Aquestive’s formulation team to create the diazepam buccal film.

  • To subscribe to receive marketing updates about diazepam buccal film and other products and services from Aquestive, please complete the form below. Please also review our privacy policy, which describes how we use and process your data. You may also contact us at any time by emailing busdev@aquestive.com.

Please complete the form to receive a demonstration kit for our PharmFilm® technology.

  • To subscribe to receive marketing updates about our PharmFilm® technology and other products and services from Aquestive, please complete the form below. Please also review our privacy policy, which describes how we use and process your data. You may also contact us at any time by emailing busdev@aquestive.com.

Please complete this form:

  • To subscribe to receive marketing updates about products and services from Aquestive Therapeutics, or to receive information about Aquestive-sponsored clinical trials, please check the box below. Please also review our privacy policy, which describes how we use and process your data. If for any reason you no longer wish to receive information on Aquestive-sponsored clinical trials, you can contact us at any time by emailing clinicaltrials@aquestive.com.

Whether we are partnering to out license our PharmFilm® technology or in-licensing adjacent assets, Aquestive works hand-in-hand with our partners to address their toughest clinical and business challenges. To learn more, please complete the following form:

  • To subscribe to receive information updates about products and services from Aquestive Therapeutics, or to receive information about Aquestive-sponsored clinical trials, please check the box below. Please also review our privacy policy, which describes how we use and process your data. You may also contact us at any time by emailing busdev@aquestive.com.

Please complete the form below and click submit to receive a copy of “The Art of LGS Book.”

Please complete our short form to speak with a business development specialist.