The classification of tablets can be based on multiple dimensions such as dosage form, release mechanism, manufacturing process and regulatory standards. By dosage form, quick-release tablets (such as ibuprofen tablets) account for 65% of the global market, and their disintegration time is usually less than 5 minutes; Sustained-release tablets (such as nifedipine controlled-release tablets) extend the release cycle to 12-24 hours through multi-layer coating technology, and the market size will reach $24 billion in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 7.2%. Oral collapse tablets (such as Zopiclonol oral dissolution tablets) do not need to drink water, the penetration rate in elderly patients increases to 18%, the average disintegration time is 30 seconds, but the production cost is 25% higher than ordinary tablets.
From the perspective of release technology, thin-film coated tablets (such as aspirin enteric-coated tablets) account for 60% of drugs for chronic diseases, and can remain intact in the stomach acid environment (pH≤3), while releasing drugs in the intestine (pH≥6), with coating thickness ranging from 20 to 100 microns. Effervescent tablets (such as vitamin C effervescent tablets) rely on citric acid and sodium bicarbonate reaction, dissolution rate ≤2 minutes, 2022 global sales of more than 5 billion tablets, but due to humidity sensitivity need additional packaging, logistics costs increased by 12%. In addition, freeze-dried mouth collapse tablets (such as Pfizer’s Zydis technology) use a low-temperature vacuum drying process with a 95% porosity, a single tablet weight of only 150-300 mg, but the development cost of up to $3 million/variety.
Manufacturing process differences significantly affect classification. Direct tablet method (such as acetaminophen tablets) accounts for 70% of the total production, with an efficiency of 500,000 tablets/hour, but the raw materials must meet the requirements of fluidity (Carr index ≤15%) and compressibility (tensile strength ≥ 1.5MPa); Wet pellet tablets (e.g. Metformin sustained-release tablets) increase particle density through adhesives (e.g. HPMC), reduce content uniformity deviation (RSD≤2%), but increase energy consumption by 30%. In 2021, Roche will use continuous manufacturing technology to produce HIV combination tablets, reducing the production cycle from 14 days to 48 hours, and increasing the utilization rate of raw materials to 98%.
Regulations and certification systems are further classified. FDA OTC monographs (e.g. Famotidine for stomach) are required to meet USP dissolution standards (45 minutes release ≥80%), while prescription drugs (e.g. PD-1 inhibitor tablets) are required to meet ICH Q3 impurity control (individual impurity ≤0.1%). Herbal Medicinal Products (such as Ginkgo biloba extract tablets) in the EU must pass the EMA’s THMPD certification with a concentration deviation of ≤±5% of the active ingredient. In 2022, Indian generic drug companies failed to meet standards (dissolution deviation of more than 10%), resulting in 23 batches of drugs being recalled by the EU, with a direct loss of $170 million.
Innovative technologies give rise to new types of tablets. 3D printed tablets (such as Aprecia’s Spritam) achieve flexible dose adjustment (50-1000 mg) through powder layer bonding, and the market penetration rate will reach 1.5% in 2023, and the scale is expected to exceed $800 million in 2025. Nanocrine wafers (such as Merck’s Emend) use apis with particle sizes ≤200 nm to improve bioavailability by 3-5 times, but the development cost is 40% higher than traditional tablets. In addition, smart tablets (such as Proteus Digital Health’s sensor) trigger signal transmission through pH changes in the body and compliance monitoring accuracy is 99%, but due to battery life limitations (≤72 hours), commercialization progress is slow, accounting for only 0.2% of the global market. According to GlobalData, personalized tablets based on AI algorithms (such as dose adjustment by genotype) will drive an 18% increase in industry margins by 2030, becoming the core direction of innovation in types of tablets.