Formulation and Drug Delivery

Company and People Notes: Catalent expands Bolton, UK, warehouse; Biotica appoints Edward E. Hodgkin as CEO and director; more.

Company and People Notes: Baxter and Halozyme Expand Relationship, Crucell Names COO, More.

Aptuit expands its drug-development capabilities with the formation of Aptuit Laurus to take advantage of the growing pharmaceutical outsourcing market in India.

The influence of magnesium stearate (MgSt) on powder lubrication and finished solid-dose properties presents big challenges to drug manufacturers.

A new economical method for producing fast-melting lamina-like dosage forms.

In biomanufacturing, multiple sensors provide a wealth of data that could be used to enhance process understanding and assist in performance improvement. This article looks at how to move from a data-rich environment to one where the data are translated to useful information that leads to knowledge and, ultimately, process improvements.

This article investigates how the industry can test inhalers in a way that is most representative of typical use.

This article describes how rapidly disintegrating tablets containing a large quantity of an intensely bitter drug were successfully developed with a suitable level of masking, tablet hardness, disintegration property, dissolution profile and mouth feel.

Getting from a cell culture to a purified biotech product is a demanding exercise involving many operations. Increasing productivity in the upstream part of biotech production is placing new demands on the purification process, which may lead to adopting new technologies.

A new Raman spectroscopic method to detect magnesium stearate in powder blends and tablets is described. High-volume pharmaceutical manufacturing requires the use of lubricants to facilitate tablet ejection from compressing machines. However, lubricants may also bring a number of undesired problems that have been widely documented in pharmaceutical scientific literature. New analytical methods are needed to understand lubrication and provide process knowledge in support of FDA's process analytical technology initiative. The detection of magnesium stearate in lactose, mannitol, corn starch and other commercially important excipients is reported. The Raman spectroscopic method has a detection limit of about 0.1% (w/w) based on the 2848 cm-1 band that corresponds to the symmetric stretch of the methylene group in magnesium stearate.

The authors evaluate the scalability of foam-granulation technology using continuous foam addition in high-shear granulation equipment at the laboratory, pilot and manufacturing scales. Immediate- and controlled-release model formulations were used. Continuous and batch addition of foam were compared for the controlled-release model formulation at the manufacturing scale, and physical testing was performed on the granules and finished tablets.

Irish researchers have developed a method that could be used to deliver controlled amounts of drugs to diseased tissues while minimizing side effects by shining light on the target.

Microbix Biosystems has established a team of experts to help manufacturers boost their production of influenza vaccine.

A spate of drugs are scheduled to come off patent, offering vast potential and competition.

The book comprehensively reviews the basics of drug absorption and methods for delivery enhancement through various routes of administration.

The company begins production at a new $100-million manufacturing facility for prefilled injection systems, plans further investment in packaging facilities, and targets both early-phase development and commercial manufacture.

Merck & Co. acquires NovaCardia, Sanofi Pasteur completes vaccine-manufacturing facility, more

Novartis Vaccines plans to produce approximately 40 million doses of its ?Fluvirin? vaccine for distribution in the United States during the 2007?2008 flu season.

A new guidance issued by the US Food and Drug Administration earlier this month advises companies on how to treat polymorphic drug compounds?those that exhibit multiple structural forms?in filing abbreviated new drug applications.

Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, a division of Novartis AG (Basel, Switzerland) and IntercellAG (Vienna, Austria), a biotechnology company, will collaborate toward developing a broad range of vaccines.

During the past 30 years, manufacturers developed sophisticated packaging and delivery systems to support the requirements of traditional and complex biologics, including quality and cleanliness. This article discusses the evolution of packaging and delivery systems for injectable administration systems as the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry evolved during the past 30 years. It also explores the future of packaging and delivery systems as technology and drug development advance.

The author reviews advancements in formulation that Pharmaceutical Technology has chronicled during the past 30 years. During this time, many novel solutions were investigated and finally became common and accepted techniques. The author also looks ahead to future developments in formulation and drug delivery methods.

... the biotech industry could make characterization of its products easier by paying more attention to downstream processing and purification issues, creating a cleaner product that is easier to identify.

Double-digit growth is projected for the US generic drug market, and the industry positions for opportunities in biosimilars.