Pharmatek Laboratories, Inc. has acquired the Xcelodose 600S system, adding to its preclinical and early phase clinical GMP supply capabilities. The company will install the unit in its solid dose manufacturing facility in San Diego, CA and it’s expected to be validated by mid-October. The company is currently scheduling Xcelodose manufacturing productions for November and December.

“Pharmatek is always looking for ways to move our customers’ drug candidates into the clinic more efficiently without compromising quality,” said Jeffrey Bibbs, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Pharmatek. “For powder-in-capsule (PIC) applications, the Xcelodose can drastically decrease time to clinic while also lowering the cost of drug product for first-in-human trials.”

The Xcelodose, manufactured by Capsugel, a division of Pfizer, is a precision powder micro-doser and automated encapsulator that has the ability to fill formulations or API directly into capsules. The Xcelodose can measure to levels as low as 100 micrograms and can dispense into capsules from size 00 to 4. According to the company, dosing directly into capsules can reduce the amount of API required and the unit reduces overall development time by simplifying analytical and stability protocols.