ABSTRACT
Mucosal delivery of drugs has been reviewed [1,2] extensively mainly from a sustained-delivery point of view using buccal patches, mucoadhesives, and other means for delivery to prolong the contact of the substance to be absorbed with the mucosal membrane. Immediate-immediate release (I2R) lingual or buccal spray technology, which is the subject of this chapter, is quite different from these other methods in that these formulations do not require these means to prolong contact with the buccal mucosa. The term “immediate-immediate release” is used because these formulations enable the drug to reach the systemic circulation faster than standard immediate-release tablets, capsules, and other oral formulations. The formulations employed for these purposes are usually designated either as lingual sprays or buccal sprays but in this chapter the term “lingual sprays” will be used throughout.
