Developing fixed dose combinations using capsules
With few potential blockbuster drugs within the pharma pipeline immediately and
therefore the shrinking drug pipeline, many pharmaceutical companies
are looking to expand their product portfolio from their existing
molecules. the foremost common strategy is to
expand into fixed-dose combination-based products which involves combining two
or more existing molecules, during a single formulation. this
will offer several advantages, such as, providing a synergistic
therapeutic effect, a far better safety profile with fewer
side effects, or a far better release profile. a
number of these combinations offers multiple release profiles
(where one drug could also be intended for immediate
release and therefore the other for modified release
or each of the constituent drug could also be designed for release at
different locations within the alimentary canal .) Combination products can
also help increase patient adherence by reducing pill burden.
Hard capsules in
fixed-dose combinations
Developed within
the 19th century, two-piece hard capsule has been a
well-liked dosage form within the pharmaceutical industry
and may be a suitable dosage form for delivering
fixed-dose combinations (FDC) formulations. it's available in many sizes:
standard hard capsules typically range as big as size 000 to as tiny as size
5 and may accommodate various fill volumes. To
encapsulate additional fill volumes outside traditional sizes, some
intermediate sizes called “elongated sizes” also exist. These typically
have an additional 10% fill volume over the
quality sizes to handle variations in density. Customised sizes also
can be developed by capsule manufacturers if a
selected formulation or delivery technology involves such engineering. the
arrival of hypromellose (HPMC) capsules also makes it easy now to
fill in hygroscopic/moisture-sensitive ingredients, which has been a challenge
with traditional gelatine capsules.
Encapsulation
of liquid combination
Combination capsule products have naturally
evolved as a results of advancement in capsule
filling technology. Beyond powder filling, today formulation scientists are
able to do combination liquid filling in capsules. it's possible to
combine beads and pellets with a liquid or insert small liquid filled
capsules into larger liquid-filled capsules.
Technology and increased understanding of
self-emulsifying drug delivery systems including advances in commercial
filling equipment have reduced formulation difficulties. As a result,
developing and commercialising combination products is
simpler than ever and may benefit both patient and
manufacturer.
Encapsulation of combinations for inhalation
Hard capsules are
often used for inhalation delivery of medicine , where the capsule is
punctured and therefore the patient inhales to
facilitate the powder reaching the lungs. In capsuled-based dry powder
inhalation technology, the utilization of a
mixture therapy usually yields better results than employing
a single ingredient. an honest example is
that the mixture formoterol-budesonide. the
only capsule combination of formoterol-budesonide appears to be
more efficacious and safer than budesonide alone for the treatment of asthma.
As the use of pulmonary drug delivery as a
non-invasive route for treating systemic diseases has garnered interest in
recent times, combination inhalation therapy employing
a simple delivery system like capsule-based DPI
products are often considered an
appropriate option.
Conclusion
FDCs provide ample opportunities to innovate
oral solid dosage forms and capsules offers new drug delivery
solutions by housing different product forms besides powders, like pellets, minitablets,
capsules, liquids, and semi-solids. With the advancement in encapsulation
technology, combination filling in capsules possesses simpler.
References
https://pharma-trends.com/2021/03/24/developing-fixed-dose-combinations-using-capsules/
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