The Research Updates and Prospects of Herbal Hard-Boiled Lozenges: A Classical Platform With Promising Drug Delivery Potential

Abstract

Over the past decades major focus has been given towards innovative drug delivery systems and new dosage forms. This is due to highly expensive process and high attrition rates of existing marketed drugs. Hard-boiled lozenges (HBLs) are one of the solid dosage form designed to release the drug in saliva for either local or systemic effects. Typical application of lozenegs includes throat infection, pharyngitis, cough suppressant, nasal-decongestant, expectorants, and smoking cessation. The drug delivery through the hard-boiled candies has an easy marketing advantage due to its attractive appearance and patient compliance. As a part of the drug is absosrbed into systemic circulation, gastrointestinal degradation and fast pass effects are avoided. Further, drug delivery through hard-boiled lozenges can be potential platform for some of the suitable drug candidates. This review on hard-boiled lozenges discusses manufacturing process, characterization techniques, quality control, research studies and market potential of hard-boiled lozenges. The major databases searched were, PubMed, Wiley Online, Medline, Elsevier, Google scholar, Scopus, ACS, The Royal Society of Chemistry, SciFinder, Baidu Scholars, CNKI, web of science, Cochrane database, US Patents, Espacenet and various business reviews. This review provides comprehensive information on hard-boiled lozenges that will help the pharmaceutical scientist from academia as well pharmaceutical industry to leverage the potential of this conventional dosage form for various herbal drugs and other pharmaceutical actives.