If coders are the anonymous engineers and architects of the software that drives computers, handhelds, and the worldwide web, then formulators and drug delivery professionals are the anonymous engineers and architects who drive the pharmaceuticals that are changing medical treatment paradigms. It’s the formulators and drug delivery professionals who ensure that increasingly complex molecules are delivered to the right organ, in the right dose, and at the right time to optimize efficacy and safety.

The new therapeutic molecules coming out of the chemistry and biotech labs are neither well-behaved from a physiochemical perspective nor easily tamed. Too often, they are highly insoluble or are too quickly excreted to be of any practical therapeutic benefit without the help of formulation and drug delivery. And at the same time, the right drug is only as useful as the patient’s willingness to take it according to the prescribed schedule. Making drugs easy and simple to use helps ensure the patient and the healthcare system receives the optimal benefit from these new breakthrough pharmaceuticals. It’s the job of formulation and drug delivery professionals to ensure products provide optimal efficacy, safety, and convenience.

The importance of formulation, the common denominator in all pharmaceuticals, is too easily ignored by industry pundits and the public in the same way they ignore the coders of the software running our tools and toys.This Global Formulation Report takes a closer look at the business and science of formulation and drug delivery as revealed by the past year. The subjects covered range from new formulation-enhanced drug approvals, to combination products, to the technologies and deals underpinning these products, and much more. A panel of industry experts also offers their thoughts on what is yet to come.

The Report is a collaborative effort between the well-respected team at Drug Development & Delivery, and the information, analysis, and writing team of the delivery and formulation experts at PharmaCircle (Kurt Sedo, Tom DePaul, and Josef Bossart). The format is intended to provide an overview of what happened in 2014 and how these events are likely to shape the coming years. We hope you enjoy this issue. Please drop us a line if you have suggestions for how we can improve future issues.

Click here to download the Global Formulation Report

Ralph Vitaro
Publisher & President
Drug Development & Delivery

rvitaro@drug-dev.com

Tugrul Kararli
President & Founder
PharmaCircle LLC
tkararli@pharmacircle.com