Tze Ning Hiew, PhD
Particle Engineering to Develop Better Film Coating for Drugs
Summary
More than 90,000 drug products contain titanium dioxide, which is an opacifier added to tablet film coatings and capsule shells. Opacifiers protect the drug’s active ingredients from light, which can cause them to degrade and shorten a medicine’s shelf life. However, there have been emerging concerns surrounding the continued use of titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe for use in drugs; however, it has been banned as a food additive in the European Union, raising concerns about a potential ban for pharmaceutical use as well. If restrictions are imposed on the use of titanium dioxide, many drug products may need to be reformulated, potentially causing product shortages and or/withdrawals of some products from the market, thereby restricting patients’ access to life-saving treatments. Using particle engineering, my research seeks to design a new generation of opacifiers that are titanium dioxide-free and satisfy the regulatory and functional needs of pharmaceutical drug products.
Watch a Q&A with Tze Ning
I am immensely grateful to the PhRMA Foundation for the Faculty Starter Grant in Drug Delivery. This grant will significantly impact my research trajectory by providing the necessary resources to facilitate the development of safer film coats for tablets, thereby ensuring the continued supply of high-quality oral solid dosage forms, ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes.
