An industrial perspective on the design and development of medicines for older patients
An increasing elderly population is leading to a change in the global demographics. This presents a new challenge to society and the pharmaceutical industry. This demographic shift is providing an opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry to meet the specific needs of the changing patient population. One issue that has been identified is defining what is meant by “an older patient”, since this definition cannot be simply limited to chronological age. The fundamental purpose of the design and development process is to create a product that can be used by the patient group in a safe and efficacious manner. In the pharmaceutical industry ICH Q8 is used to guide the design and development of medicines. The process leads to the definition of the Quality Target Product Profile (QTPP) for a specific drug product and patient population.
Keywords: Older adults; demographic; pharmaceutical industry; patient centric; ICH Q8; quality target product profile; solid oral formulation; dosage form; dose flexibility; product handling; product adherence; smart packaging
XSTRAW
More than 50 percent of people (young and old) have difficulties with the use of tablets and capsules. Difficulty swallowing, psychological barriers against such formats or taste aversions make it hard for the patients to take the prescribed medication reliably. This is why tablets are crushed, dissolved or otherwise altered. Mostly with the result that active ingredients are lost and the dosing quantity is no longer accurate. XStraw® enables the simple and intuitive intake of the exact dosing quantities – with a beverage and thus a flavor of your choice.