Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)

What is it?

Low substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, also commonly known as hydroxypropyl methycellulose (HPMC) or hypromellose is a binder and disintegrant inactive ingredient for solid dose forms in the pharmaceutical industry. As a powder, hypromellose is off-white to beige and may be in granules.

Hypromellose is considered an inert ingredient. Hydroxypropyl cellulose is soluble in both water and alcohol, but low substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose swells in water and is insoluble.

Hydroxypropyl methycellulose is also a coating agent and film-former used as an inactive ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry.^[1] It has also been used as a rate-controlling polymer for sustained-release dose forms.