lactose

Lactose is a disaccharide sugar composed of galactose and glucose, naturally occurring in milk. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is one of the most widely used excipients, functioning as a filler, diluent, and binder in solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. Notably, in the treatment of respiratory diseases like asthma, lactose serves as a critical carrier for dry powder inhalers (DPIs), facilitating the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients to the lungs. Therapeutically, lactose is utilized as a diagnostic agent in the lactose tolerance test to evaluate an individual's ability to digest the sugar, thereby identifying lactase deficiency. It is also used as a caloric source in nutritional products. In clinical research, lactose is frequently employed as a placebo in trials for various conditions, including oncology and metabolic disorders, due to its relative physiological inactivity in non-intolerant individuals.

Brand names

PharmatoseLactopressCapsuLacGranuLacPrismaLacSacheLacSpheroLacSuperTabInhaLac

Other names

milk sugar4-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-glucoselactose monohydrateanhydrous lactose