Anna Kurek-Górecka, Michał Górecki, Katarzyna Góralczyk-Bałys, Paweł Ramos

New liquid vehicle, containing hydroxyethyl cellulose, as raw material for pharmacy: perspectives for preparing an oral suspension in a pharmacy

 

2025-12-11

The article describes a new liquid hydrogel base made with hydroxyethyl cellulose for internal use, presented against the background of hydrogel bases as modern pharmaceutical vehicles, with particular emphasis on hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), which serves as a gelling agent in a recently registered pharmaceutical raw material intended for oral hydrogel formulations. Hydrogels are a modern base that can be used in a variety of pharmaceutical formulations as a carrier of active substances. Hydrogels are hydrophilic, three-dimensional polymer matrices that can act as carriers of active substances in both external and oral preparations. Until recently, Poland lacked gelling polymers for internal use registered as raw materials for formulations (Celugel, a hydrogel for topical application, is available as a raw material for the formulations). This created a therapeutic gap in the individualization of oral treatment. Hydroxyethyl cellulose, used to prepare the hydrogel, is a biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, hydrophilic, non-ionic, and water-soluble cellulose derivative. Due to its properties, hydroxyethyl cellulose has the potential to be used in pharmaceutical formulations for preparing suspensions intended for internal use. The physicochemical properties of hydrogel obtained using hydroxyethyl cellulose enabled the preparation of suspensions with significantly reduced sedimentation, resulting from the high viscosity of the hydrogel. Hydroxyethyl cellulose gel may be a good vehicle for preparing suspensions of insoluble medicinal substances, especially for patients with swallowing difficulties. In December 2024, the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products issued a marketing authorization for the pharmaceutical raw material operating under the name Oralbaza, intended for the preparation of oral suspensions in pharmacy formulations. The introduction of this raw material reduces technological barriers in the preparation of oral suspensions with insoluble medicinal substances, facilitates precise dosing, and enables individualization of therapy in terms of dosage. The introduction of the new raw material for prescriptions enables the preparation of oral suspensions with controlled viscosity and stability, which facilitates swallowing and reduces the risk of aspiration, especially in patients with dysphagia, both in pediatrics and geriatrics.

Keywords: hydrogels, hydroxyethylcellulose, suspension for internal use.

© Farm Pol, 2025, 81(5): 287–292