The Swiss-Dutch multinational corporation dsm-firmenich has introduced a ModulaSENSE Bitter, a new technology that promises to help pharmaceutical companies improve the taste of drugs and increase patient adherence.
The innovation aims to address the growing challenge of bitterness in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), helping drug formulators to create more patient-friendly oral medicines.
Poor taste in drug formulations is a significant issue, with more than 60% of APIs considered intrinsically bitter.
The new technology mitigates these challenges using proprietary receptor-based methods and expert sensory validation.
dsm-firmenich says it will provide formulators with insights into how compounds interact with bitter taste receptors, guiding the development of formulation-specific bitterness management strategies.
ModulaSENSE Bitter combines bitter blockers, maskers and sweeteners with evidence-based insights from dsm-Firmenich’s trained sensory panels to improve overall flavour balance.
The firm says that it can be applied across a wide range of oral dosage forms—including solid, liquid and semi-solid formulations—and each solution is accompanied by structured sensory evaluation and a comprehensive technical documentation and regulatory package.
Carlos Almasqué, Global Marketing Director for Pharma Excipients at dsm-firmenich, commented: "We are proud to introduce ModulaSENSE Bitter to our customers and provide them with a new tool to overcome bitterness in oral dosage forms."
Improving the palatability of medicines is essential for elevating patient adherence to treatment regimens.
"Our new technology directly addresses this issue with a more targeted approach, allowing our customers to develop market-ready medicines designed with the patient in mind."
Dr Pierre-Louis Bardonnet, Global Technical Business Development Manager for Pharma at dsm-firmenich, added: "Behind this innovation is the global expertise of dsm-firmenich’s diligent pharmaceutical and taste teams."
We work closely with our customers from early formulation design to regulatory preparation, helping them to overcome complex formulation challenges and develop medicines that meet both patient and industry expectations.