Fast-dissolving drug-delivery systems were first developed in the late 1970s as an alternative to tablets, capsules, and syrups for pediatric and geriatric patients who experience difficulties swallowing traditional oral soliddosage forms. In response to this need, a variety of orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) formats were commercialized. Most ODT products were formulated to dissolve in less than one minute when exposed to saliva to form a solution that could then be more easily swallowed.

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... solvable oral thin films (OTFs) evolved over the past few years from the confection and oral care markets in the form of breath strips and became a novel and widely accepted form by consumers for delivering vitamins and personal care products. Companies with experience in the formulation of polymer coatings containing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for transdermal drug delivery capitalized on the opportunity to transition this technology to OTF formats. Today, OTFs are a proven and accepted technology for the systemic delivery of APIs for over-the-counter (OTC) medications and are in the early-to mid-development stages for prescription drugs.