Laurens Derie

Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are solid dosage forms designed to rapidly disintegrate in the oral cavity upon contact with saliva, producing a liquid that can be swallowed easily. They provide convenient administration without the need for water or chewing and are particularly beneficial for patient compliance in geriatric, paediatric, and institutionalised populations with a high incidence of dysphagia.

A key manufacturing method for ODTs is lyophilisation, in which the formulation is filled into blisters, frozen, and dried under vacuum by sublimation. This process creates highly porous tablets with rapid disintegration and smooth mouthfeel. However, conventional lyophilised ODTs typically rely on gelatine or emulsion systems, which limit product quality, process robustness, and patient acceptability. In addition, the use of batch manufacturing results in non-uniform process conditions, variability within and between batches, long cycle times, and reduced flexibility in formulation design.

To address these challenges, the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology (LPPAT) has developed an innovative continuous manufacturing technology for lyophilised ODTs. This research project aims to evaluate whether the continuous process enables the development of new formulation platforms without gelatine, supports the production of high-dose and fixed-dose combination tablets, and allows process optimisation through the study of freezing and annealing effects and the development of mechanistic drying models.