Application of lactose in the pharmaceutical industry

This chapter describes the application of lactose as excipient in the pharmaceutical industry. About 60%–70% of pharmaceutical dosage forms contain lactose, and in volume it is one of the biggest pharmaceutical excipients. Lactose can have several functions in a dosage form: as a filler to provide bulk to for instance tablets, as a binder to provide the strength to a dosage form to keep it together, and to provide the flow to a formulation to be capable of producing it. Next to that, the excipient can assist in delivering the drug to the place of action. A wide range of commercial pharmaceutical grades of lactose is available with specific properties for each specific formulation challenge. There are many different production processes in the pharmaceutical industry that all require specific grades of lactose. Lactose is a versatile excipient that is safe to use, relatively cheap, and widely available in many forms.