Formulating liquid medicines with patients in mind

Better drug design starts with understanding what patients truly need. When it comes to traditional tablets, some patients — such as newborns, children, older adults, and those managing chronic conditions — face sensory and swallowing challenges. But liquid formulations present a simple solution, offering flexible dosing, taste masking, and ease of swallowing. This can support better patient adherence, and ultimately, improve treatment consistency and outcomes.

Oral liquids are available in suspension and solution formats. Suspensions contain insoluble drug particles dispersed in a liquid and are available in ready-to-use solutions or dry powder formats that can be reconstituted by the patient, caregiver, or pharmacist. On the other hand, solutions are homogeneous mixtures in which the drug is completely dissolved in a solvent, which ensures uniform drug distribution, leading to consistent dosing.

Behind every effective liquid medicine is a strategic combination of excipients, featuring suspending agents, protective colloids, wetting agents, buffers, preservatives, sweeteners, and more. These ingredients don’t just stabilize the formulation — they support the development of truly patient-centric medicines by helping to overcome unpleasant sensory attributes.

With our expertise in excipient innovation and patient-focused formulation, we can help you deliver oral liquids that patients can trust — and take with ease and confidence.

Choose the right excipients for your needs:

Suspensions and Solutions

Excipient

Suspensions

Solutions

Avicel® colloidal microcrystalline cellulose (cMCC)

Creates a structured network that keeps particles evenly dispersed, reducing sedimentation and improving shelf life.

Adds body and texture to semi-solid or structured liquids.

METHOCEL™ hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and methylcellulose (MC)

Enhance viscosity to stabilize dispersed particles and improve pourability.

Dissolve fully to provide smooth, consistent viscosity and support solubilized actives.

Protanal® and Manucol® Alginate

Form a gentle gel matrix that holds particles in place, supporting long-term stability.

Offer controlled viscosity and gelation, especially in the presence of calcium ions for tailored release profiles.

Gelcarin® and Viscarin® carrageenan

Improve suspension uniformity and mouthfeel with synergistic rheology.

Deliver smooth, stable gels or viscous liquids, enhancing texture and patient experience.

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*Examples only and not representative of a complete list of recommended products or benefits.

Explore more resources

Webinar – Improving Adherence Through Patient-Centered Formulation

Learn how oral liquid suspensions can improve adherence, safety, and outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Find out more

Webinar – Mastering Suspension Stability with Colloidal Avicel®

Discover strategies to optimize suspension stability and overcome formulation challenges.

Find out more

Blog Article – Four Formulation Strategies for Patient-Centric Oral Liquids

Explore practical approaches to balance stability, taste, and patient experience in oral suspensions.

Coming soon

Technical Paper: Colloidal Avicel® for Suspensions

Discover stabilization solutions for emulsions and suspensions with co-processed MCC and CMC.

Find out more
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Learn more about how we can support your formulation.