Dry powder coating of pharmaceuticals: A review

Over the last half century, film coating technology has evolved significantly in terms of compositions and manufacturing processes, allowing for greater functionality, flexibility and efficiency. Driven by a combination of cost considerations and functionality, a range of dry powder coating technologies have been developed in both academic and industrial settings. These technologies can be generally classified into three major types based on the layer formation process: liquid assisted, thermal adhesion and electrostatic. In addition to specific manufacturing processes that must be implemented to achieve the desired product attributes, many of these techniques also require the use of novel excipients and specific formulations to provide acceptable manufacturability. This review summarizes the current dry powder coating technologies and highlights their industrial applicability with publicly disclosed case studies. Commentary on the future directions of dry powder coating is also provided.