Techniques
CO2 technology presents several advantages over conventional production methods (such as emulsions, traditional spray drying, freeze drying etc.) including:
- Processing at close to ambient temperatures allows processing of heat sensitive components
- Using CO2 will limit the unfolding of protein based APIs
- No/low oxygen operation allows processing of oxygen sensitive ingredients
- Wide range of particle characteristics attainable, affecting e.g. water dispensability, bioavailability, release.
- CO2 is GRAS, non-flammable, easily recyclable, cheap and leaves no residues in the product. For our customers this means environmentally friendly processing.
FORMULATION TECHNIQUES
Our innovative CO2 technology offers unique formulation solutions. CO2 technology is very attractive for manufacturing therapeutic particles, either the API itself, a possible excipient or a mixture of both. Optimized drug formulation and delivery improve therapeutic profile of the final drug. Formulation design using supercritical fluids can be operated by several different processes; the choice depends on the desired particle morphology and size distribution. FeyeCon is providing new techniques for solving drug delivery problems.
Here are some of the options our team of experts can provide.
Particle design
Mild processing techniques
PARTICLE DESIGN
Optimization and control of particle size are becoming ever more important in the development of pharmaceutical products. FeyeCon is able to offer a number of possibilities for your micronisation requirements. Even ductile materials can be processed into a micron sized powder. With our technology, micronized particles can be formed from solution into pressurized gas, from solution in ‘normal’ solvent or through melt micronisation. By varying the process conditions and nozzle, the size and morphology of the powder can be varied to meet your specific requirements.
An important aspect of particle design is the control over its morphology. Our platform technology offers several different application possibilities to design the size with control over the morphology of the particles. Our technique delivers a predictable result, without the need to further manipulate the product.
Encapsulation of nano-/micro particles can be used in product stabilization, control/sustained release preparation, taste masking and bioavailability control. The micronized particles can be coated with a selection of coating materials. An example of our past experience in micronisation and microencapsulation include implemented pharmaceutical formulations for buccal administration.
A number of particle formation techniques can be used in order to create a pulmonary drug delivery. The use of hollow carriers or the creation of nano-sized particles are among the possibilities.
MILD PROCESSING TECHNIQUES
Many ingredients are sensitive to environmental influences such as temperature, oxygen and light. By using CO2 based technology it is possible to process thermally labile or oxidation sensitive materials at close-to-ambient temperatures, under oxygen-free conditions in a closed-cycle process. The technology allows for:
Thermal sensitive compounds may cause challenges with the traditional drying techniques. FeyeCon technique can be utilized either in a spray drying installation, which enables particle design, or as a drying medium enabling a faster, cost-effective and green alternative to traditional techniques to dry your ingredient. Due to the gentle process conditions and short drying cycle-time, our method preserves the products characteristics.
FeyeCon successfully adopted this technique for the successful stabilization of proteins in dry powder formulations as a cost effective alternative to freeze drying.
CO2 technology facilitates selective isolation of individual constituents, resulting in improved product quality. Our extraction process takes place at relatively low temperatures which makes it suitable for the isolation of temperature sensitive compounds.
Another advantage is the fact that solvent removal is simple and efficient, and the extract quality can be well-controlled. The use of our technology leaves no solvent residues in the extract.
Contact FeyeCon to discover your solution!
