Taste-Masking Assessment Process
We sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to protect your proprietary information and discuss your bitter or unknown-taste compound requiring assessment.
We meet with your team to understand the formulation challenges, target patient population, and project objectives in details.
We create and share a detailed Phase 1 workplace outlining timelines, deliverables and methodology. We ensure you approve the approach before proceeding.
Your team liaises with our legal team to establish a Master Service Agreement, formalising the commercial terms and project framework.
You ship samples of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) alone to our facility for baseline bitterness assessment.
We complete biosensor testing of the API and compare results with our bitterness database, calculating a bitterness threshold where applicable.
We perform statistical analysis, share a detailed report with Phase 1 findings, and recommend whether Phase 2 testing or taste-masking strategies are needed.
If the API is confirmed as bitter and you have formulations to test, you ship taste-masked formulations and placebo samples for comparative assessment.
We analyse the taste of your formulations, placebo, and compare against API alone, evaluating the effectiveness of the taste-masking strategy.
Statistical analysis and reporting support the decision on whether formulations are acceptably taste-masked or require further optimisation. In-vivo studies are recommended.
We rank all tested formulations against placebo and API alone, enabling you to deselect weaker options and prioritise the best candidates for development.
If you need additional support, we can advise on optimal taste-masking strategies, formulation approaches, and development pathways tailored to your compound.
We recognise that sensory abilities, preferences, and swallowing capabilities change throughout life, particularly in children and older adults. We advise on designing age-appropriate dosage forms that align with these specific needs to improve adherence, safety, and therapeutic outcomes.
The project is closed out with final documentation. Follow-up meetings or report amendments to match your regulatory submissions can be arranged as needed.
We would require two months from the receipt of the samples to complete the work but make every effort to have the report complete as soon as possible.
Let’s Talk
To find out more, please get in touch to discuss how Gustoceutics™ can support your formulation development journey.