Capsugel Expands Late-Stage Inhalation Development Capabilities

Capsugel has expanded its late-stage inhalation capabilities for dry powder inhalation (DPI) concepts through late-stage clinical trial and commercial production. The company has completed installation and validation of a new Harro Hӧfliger Modu-C MS encapsulation unit at its Bend, OR facility that includes specialized drum-dosing technology for use in DPI development projects utilizing spray-dry processing.
 
“Drug delivery via the lung is becoming an increasingly viable treatment option for a wide range of therapeutic areas, including infectious diseases, genetic disorders and acute systemic conditions that have traditionally been treated via other delivery routes,” said Devon DuBose, head of Inhalation Product Development at Capsugel’s Bend facility. “Spray-dry processing is finding greater utilization in DPI applications because of its superior particle size control, higher drug loading and fewer formulation dependencies compared to traditional lactose blend formulations. Our customers are seeking partners with not only advanced particle engineering technology and expertise, but also integrated inhalation product development solutions that minimize program risk and complexity.”

The new Harro Hӧfliger Modu-C MS encapsulation unit includes an operational capacity of more than 72,000 capsules per hour. The technology provides 100% monitoring of dosed powder mass, fill weight ranges between 5mg and 50mg, and dose accuracy of RSD<3%.