Desloratadine-Loaded Flexible Orally Dissolvable Tablets Made of Electrospun Fiber Mats

Abstract

Patient compliance and personalized dose adjustments are important factors, especially in pediatric care. Orodispersible tablets (ODTs) are gaining importance as they increase patient compliance compared to other solid oral dosage forms. ODTs are solid dosage forms that disintegrate within seconds upon contact with a small amount of liquid. However, the main drawback of the ODTs is their brittle nature which requires special packaging and careful handling and use. In this study, flexible ODTs were fabricated with the electrospinning method. The formulation composed of Kollidon 90F and ethanol was selected for desloratadine-loaded fiber fabrication due to its ease of production and reduced electrospinning time. The single-dose fiber mat fabrication time was adjusted to 2 and 4 minutes to obtain a pediatric dose of 2.5 mg and a 5 mg adult dose, respectively. A 3D-printed tablet compression tool was successfully used to transform the electrospun fibers into ODTs. Fabricated ODTs were compared with commercial desloratadine ODTs and the results showed that they both have similar disintegration times. However, ODTs fabricated from electrospun mats demonstrated a distinct advantage in terms of flexibility, as they did not fracture under applied pressure by a texture profile analyzer. The manufacturing process, along with the utilization of 3D-printed tools, streamlined the production of flexible ODTs and simplified dose adjustments. These advancements hold the potential to facilitate customized therapies for individual patients, thereby enhancing patient compliance, particularly among pediatric populations.