Enteric Targeting Through Enteric Coating

The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date technological and pharmacological assessment of an ‘‘old’’ but still widely used dosage form, the enteric-coated tablet, capsule, or granule. Enteric-coated formulations are suitable vehicles to modify the release of active substances such that release at specific target areas within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can be affected, although the effectiveness of this methodology has long been a point of discussion. Kra¨mer et al. [1] investigated the use of enteric coatings of 261 pharmaceutical products (Figure 1). The intended use included taste (9.6%) and odor (1%) masking, drug stabilization (31%), protection against local irritation (38%), and release directed to defined segments in the digestive tract (51%).