In the past three decades, the pharmaceutical industry has seen
the development of drugs that actually cure disease rather
than just offer symptomatic relief. During these years, the
concepts of improving efficacy and good manufacturing practices
(GMPs) have grown in importance. In addition, toward
the end of the last quarter of the previous century, many new
concepts and terms had come into common usage. For example,
the concept that a dosage form must act to release the active
ingredient has become generally accepted.Words like disintegration,
dissolution, and bioavailability also have gained
prominence and meaning.Accompanying these terms and concepts
was the realization that inactive ingredients frequently
are critical to ensure storage stability, safety, and efficacy of drug
dosage forms. The transition from excipients being perceived
as inactive, inert ingredients to the present status of pharmaceutical
excipients was well on its way.

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