Excipient

A pharmaceutical excipient (also referred to excipient ) is a substance which is used in addition to the drug in the preparation of medicaments. Excipients are optimally pharmacologically and toxicologically inert, they have the following functions:

• Forming: auxiliaries carry the drug and give the drug its shape
• Producibility: enable or improve excipients certain production steps in the manufacture of medicines
• Control of drug release: Excipients cause the active ingredient is released quickly modified, slow, delayed or otherwise
• Stability improvement: Excipients ensure adequate durability of a drug

Also medicinal properties such as color, smell, taste and physiological compatibility can be set by pharmaceutical excipients. Especially in the vaccine manufacturing so-called adjuvants are used as an active amplifier.

Pharmaceutical excipients must be of consistent and appropriate grade. Many are, as well as drugs, characterized and specified in the pharmacopoeia. You should be physiologically well tolerated and apart from their intended function as inert as possible. Some adjuvants are only required for the implementation of certain manufacturing steps, and then withdrawn (eg water, organic solvents). In all EU countries is valid for finished product that the pharmaceutical excipients contained must be declared in the SPC and package leaflet.