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Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Customized Pharmaceutics: Innovations for Diverse Populations
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Customized Pharmaceutics: Innovations for Diverse Populations

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Pharmacy and Formulation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 5823

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irene Clemes Külkamp-Guerreiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Produção de Matéria-Prima, Unviersidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, RS, Brazil
Interests: nanotechnology; pharmaceutical technology, skin; cosmetics; pediatric products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Renata Vidor Contri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Produção de Matéria-Prima, Unviersidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil
Interests: nanotechnology; pharmaceutical technology, skin; cosmetics; dermatological products; topical products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of pharmaceutics continually evolves to meet the unique needs of diverse populations, including pediatrics, geriatrics, and veterinary medicine. The demand for customized pharmaceutical solutions tailored to specific requirements is continually rising. From developing age-appropriate formulations for children to addressing the complexities of medication management in the elderly, and catering to the distinct physiological characteristics of animals, the pursuit of innovation in customized pharmaceutics remains a challenge. Advances in the field comprise, for example, nanotechnology, 3D printing and taste-masking technologies for enhanced palatability. This Special Issue aims to explore the latest developments in this dynamic field, emphasizing the importance of addressing the diverse needs of pediatric, geriatric, and veterinary patients through innovative pharmaceutical approaches.

Dr. Irene Clemes Külkamp-Guerreiro
Dr. Renata Vidor Contri
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanotechnology
  • 3D printing
  • quality by design
  • patient-centric approaches
  • customized pharmaceuticals
  • pediatrics
  • geriatrics
  • veterinary medicine
  • age-appropriate formulations
  • taste masking

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 705 KiB  
Article
Survey Study to Identify the Maximum Acceptable Numbers of 2 mm and 3 mm Mini-Tablets for Short-, Middle-, and Long-Term Treatments in Acutely and Chronically Sick Children of Different Age Groups Below 18 Years
by Manfred Wargenau, Eva Mutzke, Lucas-Sebastian Spitzhorn, Sibylle Reidemeister, Ingrid Klingmann and Viviane Klingmann
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(7), 834; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17070834 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
Background/Aims: This preference study aimed to identify the maximum number of mini-tablets of two different sizes that children and adolescents would be willing to take, and parents, nurses, and pediatricians would be willing to administer to children and adolescents. Methods: A [...] Read more.
Background/Aims: This preference study aimed to identify the maximum number of mini-tablets of two different sizes that children and adolescents would be willing to take, and parents, nurses, and pediatricians would be willing to administer to children and adolescents. Methods: A total of 336 participants (24 per cohort) were stratified into 14 cohorts: Acutely and chronically sick children/adolescents aged 6–<12 years (y) and 12–<18 y, parents of acutely and chronically sick children/adolescents aged 0–<2 y, 2–<6 y, 6–<12 y, and 12–<18 y, nurses, and pediatricians. After participants were shown seven different numbers of 2 and 3 mm mini-tablets, they were asked to assess the maximum number acceptable for short-, middle-, and long-term treatment using cohort-specific questionnaires. Results: Within all groups and treatment durations, the specified maximum accepted number of 2 mm mini-tablets was higher than the number of 3 mm mini-tablets. The maximum number of mini-tablets acceptable to the participants increased with increasing age of the children and ranged from 40–500 (30–400) for the 2 mm (3 mm) mini-tablets. With increasing duration of treatment, a lower maximum number of mini-tablets was considered tolerable. Chronically sick children were willing to take higher numbers of mini-tablets than acutely sick children. The maximum accepted numbers of mini-tablets specified by pediatric patients, parents, and healthcare professionals were similar for each age group; however, pediatricians consistently specified slightly higher numbers of mini-tablets than parents and nurses. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that even a high number of mini-tablets would be well-accepted by children during middle- or long-term treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Customized Pharmaceutics: Innovations for Diverse Populations)
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15 pages, 741 KiB  
Article
Development of Nifedipine Phytantriol-Based Cubosomes and In Vitro Simulation of Administration Through Pediatric Feeding Tubes
by Lorena Almeida Lima, Euler Eduardo Lisboa de Moura, Schauana Freitas Fraga, Renata Vidor Contri and Irene Clemes Külkamp-Guerreiro
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(7), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17070828 - 25 Jun 2025
Viewed by 314
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study focused on developing an organic solvent-free formulation of phytantriol-based cubosomes for nifedipine delivery. It assessed the physicochemical properties and in vitro administration performance in pediatric nasogastric tubes and preliminarily evaluated toxicity in a brine shrimp lethality model. Methods: The nanocarrier [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study focused on developing an organic solvent-free formulation of phytantriol-based cubosomes for nifedipine delivery. It assessed the physicochemical properties and in vitro administration performance in pediatric nasogastric tubes and preliminarily evaluated toxicity in a brine shrimp lethality model. Methods: The nanocarrier formulation was characterized in terms of the particle size and drug release properties and was compared with extemporaneous formulations prepared using nifedipine tablets in flow rate tests through pediatric feeding tubes. The recovery efficiency was evaluated across different tube sizes and rinsing volumes. A preliminary toxicity study was conducted using a brine shrimp lethality model. Results: Compared with nifedipine tablets, the nanocarrier formulation demonstrated favorable physicochemical properties, including controlled release and superior flow rates, in the pediatric tubes. Full recovery of the nifedipine content was achieved with the nanocarrier formulation, whereas extemporaneous formulation of the nifedipine recovery depended on the tube dimensions and rinsing protocols. Conclusions: Compared with the traditional formulations, the nanocarrier formulation represents a promising alternative for administering nifedipine via pediatric feeding tubes, offering an enhanced administration recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Customized Pharmaceutics: Innovations for Diverse Populations)
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17 pages, 2361 KiB  
Article
Net Promoter Score Model for Evaluating Paediatric Medicine Acceptability: Validation and Feasibility Study
by Okhee Yoo, Demi Stanford, Britta S. von Ungern-Sternberg and Lee Yong Lim
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(12), 1513; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16121513 - 25 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Medicine acceptability is crucial for paediatric drug development, yet its assessment remains challenging due to the multifaceted nature of sensory attributes like taste, smell, and mouthfeel. Traditional methods of acceptability evaluation often involve complex questionnaires and lack standardisation, leading to difficulties [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Medicine acceptability is crucial for paediatric drug development, yet its assessment remains challenging due to the multifaceted nature of sensory attributes like taste, smell, and mouthfeel. Traditional methods of acceptability evaluation often involve complex questionnaires and lack standardisation, leading to difficulties in a comparative analysis across studies. This study aimed to develop a simplified, standardised approach for assessing medicine acceptability introducing the Net Promoter Score (NPS) framework to derive a Medicine Acceptability Score (MAS). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using taste assessment data from nine paediatric formulations across four studies. The MAS was calculated by identifying an optimal range for categorising participant responses, which encapsulated diverse sensory attributes into a single metric. Validation was performed across various age groups and different formulations to test the reliability and discriminatory power of MAS. Results: The MAS effectively discriminated between acceptable and unacceptable formulations, providing a practical tool for formulation development. Conclusions: The MAS offers a novel, standardised metric for evaluating paediatric medicine acceptability, addressing key limitations of traditional methods. Future studies are recommended to refine the MAS model through the establishment of benchmark scores for chronic and acute medications, thereby standardising acceptability assessment of medicines across the pharmaceutical industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Customized Pharmaceutics: Innovations for Diverse Populations)
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Review

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44 pages, 3282 KiB  
Review
The Future of Medicine: How 3D Printing Is Transforming Pharmaceuticals
by Jurga Bernatoniene, Jolita Stabrauskiene, Jurga Andreja Kazlauskaite, Urte Bernatonyte and Dalia Marija Kopustinskiene
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17030390 - 19 Mar 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3560
Abstract
Three-dimensional printing technology is transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing by shifting from conventional mass production to additive manufacturing, with a strong emphasis on personalized medicine. The integration of bioinks and AI-driven optimization is further enhancing this innovation, enabling drug production with precise dosages, tailored drug-release [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional printing technology is transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing by shifting from conventional mass production to additive manufacturing, with a strong emphasis on personalized medicine. The integration of bioinks and AI-driven optimization is further enhancing this innovation, enabling drug production with precise dosages, tailored drug-release profiles, and unique multi-drug combinations that respond to individual patient needs. This advancement is significantly impacting healthcare by accelerating drug development, encouraging innovative pharmaceutical designs, and enhancing treatment efficacy. Traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing follows a one-size-fits-all approach, which often fails to meet the specific requirements of patients with unique medical conditions. In contrast, 3D printing, coupled with bioink formulations, allows for on-demand drug production, reducing dependency on large-scale manufacturing and storage. AI-powered design and process optimization further refine dosage forms, printability, and drug release mechanisms, ensuring precision and efficiency in drug manufacturing. These advancements have the potential to lower overall healthcare costs while improving patient adherence to medication regimens. This review explores the potential, challenges, and environmental benefits of 3D pharmaceutical printing, positioning it as a key driver of next-generation personalized medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Customized Pharmaceutics: Innovations for Diverse Populations)
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