Improving drug delivery in paediatric medicine

A major challenge in drug development is paediatric drug delivery; however, the problems associated with drug administration in this population are manifold. Because of the highly heterogeneous nature of the patient group, ranging from newborns to adolescents, there is a need to use suitable excipients and dosage forms for different age groups and suitable delivery devices for certain formulations. So far, there is a lack of suitable and safe drug formulations for children, especially for the very young and seriously ill. This review provides an overview of current advances in the field of paediatric drug delivery and the challenges that still need to be overcome. With the new EU legislation, which will enforce paediatric clinical trials and drug development, there will be an increased need for more research in to novel paediatric dosage forms. There is also the basic need to further investigate the suitability of dosage forms for different age groups. Current advances in paediatric drug development include interesting new drug delivery concepts such as fast-dissolving drug formulations, including buccal films and wafers, and multiparticulate dosage forms. Parenteral administration is likely to remain the first choice for children in the neonatal period and for emergency cases. Alternative routes of administration also under investigation include transdermal, pulmonary and nasal drug delivery systems. A few products are already available on the market, but others are still under development and will need further investigation and clinical proof. © 2008 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved.