Disclosed is a pharmaceutical formulation comprising benzocaine, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or derivative thereof as a pharmaceutically active agent comprising at least one nucleophilic amino group, a reducing sugar, an excipient, and an amino acid as a stabilizing agent with at least one free amino group, wherein the stabilizing agent reacts with the reducing sugar in order to at least substantially reduce the Maillard reaction between the at least one nucleophilic amino group of the pharmaceutically active agent with the reducing sugar.
