A Century of Tablets
The compressed tablet, invented in the 1840s, remains the dominant drug delivery form worldwide. Its advantages are well known: stability, portability, precise dosing, and low manufacturing cost. But its limitations are equally well documented.
The Limitations
Slow onset: gastric dissolution and intestinal absorption take 30 to 90 minutes for most drugs
First-pass metabolism: hepatic degradation reduces bioavailability, requiring higher doses
Food interactions: absorption varies dramatically with meal timing and composition
Swallowing difficulty: dysphagia affects up to 40% of elderly patients
Alternative Delivery Routes
The pharmaceutical industry is investing heavily in non-oral delivery systems:
Transdermal Patches
Steady-state delivery through the skin. Excellent for chronic conditions but limited by molecular size, only small, lipophilic molecules can penetrate the stratum corneum.
Nasal Sprays
Rapid absorption through nasal mucosa. Used successfully for migraine (sumatriptan) and opioid overdose (naloxone). Limited by nasal cavity volume and irritation potential.
Buccal and Sublingual
The sweet spot for drugs requiring rapid onset without injection. The oral mucosa is thinner than skin, highly vascularised, and drains directly into systemic circulation.
HEZKUE® represents the most advanced application of buccal delivery technology in the sexual health space.
What Comes Next
The convergence of AI-driven formulation design, advanced polymer chemistry, and personalised medicine is accelerating the shift away from one-size-fits-all tablets. Companies like Accelerate Health are leading this transition, not by replacing tablets everywhere, but by identifying the specific therapeutic contexts where alternative delivery creates meaningful clinical advantages.