Development of Taste Masked Oral Reconstitutable Suspension of Cefixime Trihydrate

The palatability of paediatric medicines is one of the most important formulation factors with potential to influence patient compliance and a drug’s taste has to be masked without compromising on its safety and efficacy. One of the popular approaches in the taste masking of bitter drugs is the use of Ion Exchange Resins (IER). IERs are solid and suitably insoluble high molecular weight polyelectrolytes that can exchange their ions of equal charge with the surrounding medium. Cefixime Trihydrate, an oral third generation cephalosporin antibiotic is effective in the treatment of gastroenteritis in young children. The amine and nitrogen group of the drug is responsible for its bitter taste and these groups can be blocked by forming a complex with the ion exchange resin Kyron T-104, thereby restricting the release of drug into the saliva. Thus the resin effectively reduces the interaction between the drug and the taste buds.