What are excipients? Uses of excipients in drugs

Excipients play a very important role in the development of vaccines. Vaccines need to combine with adjuvants to create a healthy immune system so that the body can “defeat” foreign pathogens. So what are excipients, what are the uses of excipients in drugs?

Excipients are considered as an additive, used in the technological processes of pharmaceutical production. Excipients do not have the effect of treating disease, but these are just ingredients that are often combined to create drugs or vaccines. With drugs, this is a product with very strong pharmacological properties, so to reduce the level, one will combine with excipients.

When excipients are not combined with drugs or vaccines, excipients have no effect to cure disease. Therefore, when combining excipients in the drug, it will help the drug to be stable, the active ingredient will go to the right places, and maximize the therapeutic effect of the drug.

Excipients are also an important ingredient in vaccine doses. The combination of adjuvants into the vaccine will result in a higher effective dose of the vaccine increasing the number of responses needed to be healthy for the patient.

In vaccines, there is a small amount of  protein  of bacteria, to ensure that when the vaccine is injected into the body, the human immune system can be strong enough to fight off viruses and pathogens, the manufacturer will add more adjuvants into the vaccine during the preparation process, thereby promoting the effect of the vaccine will be more effective:

• Accelerate and direct the immune response
• Increased generation of cross-reactions
• Reduce the amount of antigen and the number of injections needed

2.1 Excipients from pathogens

Some pathogens can be used as adjuvants in vaccines because of their composition in the pathogen’s innate immune response, which reacts with receptors or on the surface of innate immune cells in the body. possible when combined with vaccines. Some pathogens used as adjuvants in vaccines include:

• Monophosphoryl Lipid A
• Poly (I:C)
• CpG DNA adjuvant
• Emulsion
• Granular excipients

This excipient is formed, develops into granules, has a very small size when entering the body, it will help stimulate the patient’s immune system, distribute antigens to immune cells. Some common granular excipients can include:

• Alum
• Viral form
• Cytokines

2.2 Compound excipients

When a single excipient combined into the drug does not have enough immune response to protect the body, a combination of several adjuvants can be applied to improve the situation.

• Uses of excipients in drugsIn the process of drug production, excipients play an important role:
• Helps solvents dissolve organic substances, dissolve acids to help produce drugs faster
• Help anti-oxidation
• Excipients are buffers to help adjust the pH to help stabilize the drug
• Has antiseptic properties found in bottled antiseptic products
• Excipients are like an additive to help stabilize and complete the drug treatment, helping to bring the necessary active ingredients in the drug to the right organ to be treated.
• Excipients in the composition of the drug

Types of excipients commonly found in the  composition of the drug  can include:

• Anti-adhesive: helps the tablets in the same box not to stick together
• Adhesives: help bind the ingredients in the drug together
• Dissolving agent: helps the drug to break down easily, easy to absorb into the body
• Coating agent: helps the medicine to avoid moisture, reduces unpleasant odors from the drug
• Aromatherapy: a pleasant smell of medicine will make it easier to drink, especially for young children

Knowing that combining adjuvants into a drug or vaccine will help maximize the effectiveness of the product, but there are many preventive vaccines that can be made from weakened bacteria and still have an immune response. such as:  vaccines to prevent measles, mumps, chickenpox, flu, ..

Once we understand the  composition of the drug as well as the excipients in the drug, we should consider and follow the instructions for use as well as the instructions of a specialist doctor.

If you need advice on drug use or have a need for medical examination and treatment, customers can contact Vinmec International General Hospital, one of the hospitals that ensures good professional quality with a professional team. Leading medical team, modern technology equipment system and the most comprehensive medical examination, consulting and treatment services today.