LTS Transdermal Therapeutic Patches and Advanced Oral Wafer (Thin Films) Medication

LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme is one of the world’s leading suppliers of transdermal and oral systems for the international pharmaceutical industry.

Our technology relies on historical medical product manufacturing techniques. Coating and drying technologies have been developed into a unique pharmaceutical technology for all forms of application with thin-film elements.

Transdermal therapeutic patch systems

Transdermal system concepts were once divided between matrix systems and reservoir / membrane type concepts, but this strict separation is no longer possible, as multiple types of different transdermal system designs exist.

The main functionalities – adhesion, reservoir function, driving force and rate control – can be assigned to different substructures of a transdermal therapeutic patch, but are also influenced by the human skin.

LTS supports all transdermal therapeutic patch system variations, focusing on the requirements of the individual drug candidate.

Advanced oral medical wafers

LTS provides flat, film or wafer-like medication for application in the oral cavity. At first sight, it appears similar to traditional oral tablets, but actually it can be fundamentally different.

With conventional systems, the mouth is merely the entry point through which medication is routed into the gastro-intestinal tract. The simplest form, a flash release wafer, provides the same effect. LTS’ oral wafer medication systems, however, use the mouth also as a site of both application and drug action.

We have three different oral wafer medication systems to provide the ideal solution for your specific requirements. Depending on the type of oral medical wafer, it is possible to generate different pharmacokinetic profiles, and avoid undesirable side effects in the gastro-intestinal tract.

There are three types of LTS oral medical wafers:

• Flash release wafer
• Mucoadhesive melt-away wafer
• Mucoadhesive sustained release wafer

The flat dosage form can vary between 2cm² and 8cm² in area, and 20µm and 500µm in thickness. The drug load per oral medical wafer depends on the physicochemical properties of the drug.

LTS’ oral wafer medication is applied on the tongue, gingiva, teeth, buccal region or upper palate, and is absorbed in the oral cavity (the gastric regions). It provides both systemic and local action.

Advantages of oral medication wafer systems

LTS’ oral medication wafer systems offer many advantages, including:

• Therapy restriction of local effects in the oral cavity (for example those indicated by local lesions)
• Effects in the entire oral cavity, such as mouth refreshment or disinfection
• Swift systemic effects after absorption through the oral mucosae
• Discreet and easy application (no additional water needed)
• Buccal absorption that bypasses hepatic first path metabolism
• Improved bioavailability, allowing lower doses

At first sight, the mouth appears a simple cavity for drug administration. However, this cavity offers several sites of application for oral wafer medication systems, which can significantly affect the bioavailability of any active principle.

The mucosa of the oral cavity provides a readily accessible and acceptable route for transmucosal delivery. In addition, the short turnover time of the oral cavity’s epithelial cells relative to the skin helps drug absorption by changing permeability characteristics.

Thus, oral wafer medication systems therefore offer a broad range of possible applications for pharmaceutical products, veterinary products and oral care products.