Abstract: A pharmaceutical formulation is provided in powder form by spray drying to form a polymeric coated core element which coating both masks the taste of the active ingredient present in the core and provides sustained release properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a taste-masked pharmaceutical composition. In particular the invention relates to suspensions of microcapsules taste-masked as a function of a polymer coating and the pH of a suspending medium. Surprisingly, a polymer considered permeable maintains taste masking in this media whereas a polymer considered impervious by the industry does not. There is provided a taste masked oral pharmaceutical composition including: a pharmaceutically active ingredient having a pH-dependent solubility; a polymer encapsulating said pharmaceutically active ingredient, said polymer having a quaternary ammonium functionality; a suspending medium for suspending the encapsulated pharmaceutically active ingredient, said medium adjusted to a predetermined pH at which the pharmaceutically active ingredient remains substantially insoluble; and wherein the pharmaceutically active ingredient is taste masked by the combination of the polymer and suspending medium.