Seven decades ago, scientists in Darmstadt, Germany, made a significant discovery that was to have a profound impact on the pharmaceutical industry. They found that polymers derived from esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid could create highly effective coatings for tablets. EUDRAGIT®, introduced 70 years ago, expanded the possibilities for drug developers and manufacturers with innovative functionalities, such as gastro-resistance, moisture protection, and taste and odor masking.

Over the past decades, innovation has never ceased. In 1968, quaternary amino groups were incorporated to produce film coatings that would remain insoluble across the entire pH spectrum, providing pH-independent time-controlled sustained release effects. To increase product purity and address customer handling and processing issues, substance polymerization was implementended and solid forms were made available as granules and powders. Later on, emulsion polymerization was developed to create aqueous dispersons and enable coating technologies without solvents.

Today, the development of EUDRAGIT® polymers continues. With a growing and aging population in many parts of the world, Evonik will build on its innovations in the past few years such as EUDRACAP® functional capsules, and innovate these polymers into next-generation solutions.

Drug release profiles refer to the rate and pattern at which a drug is released from its delivery system over time. The development of drug release profiles can be traced back to the 1940s, when researchers began studying the dissolution of drugs in the body and the factors that affect drug release. In the 1950s and 1960s, researchers began developing sustained release formulations, which could release drugs over an extended period of time. This was achieved by incorporating the drugs into a matrix or coating that could control the rate of drug release. Over the past 70 years, EUDRAGIT® polymers have played an important role in addressing some of the challenges faced by drug developers in different types of release systems.

One of the main advantages of EUDRAGIT® polymers is their ability to control drug release by modulating the pH of the release environment. This is particularly useful for delayed release formulations, where the drug needs to be protected from the acidic environment of the stomach before it can be absorbed in the intestine. EUDRAGIT® polymers can be formulated to dissolve at specific pH values, allowing for the drug to be released in a controlled manner.

To achieve sustained release formulations, the molecular weight and composition of EUDRAGIT® polymers can be altered to control the rate of drug release. This is particularly useful for drugs that need to be taken less frequently, as sustained release formulations can maintain therapeutic levels of the drug in the body for longer periods of time.

Today, EUDRAGIT® polymers can be used to match almost any release profile. Either alone or in combination they can create oral solid drugs with immediate, delayed, sustained, pulsatile, accelerated, or zero order release profiles. Drug release profiles continue to be an active area of research, with a focus on developing more precise and targeted drug delivery systems.