Direct compression excipient improves operating efficiency

Cerestar Food & Pharma Specialties Europe has launched an excipient that enables tablets to be produced using lower compression, reducing wear and tear and operational downtime.

C*PharmMannidex, a mannitol-based excipient, also enables customers to formulate tablets with higher doses of active ingredients. It also has the benefits of being non-hygroscopic and chemically stable, with good flowability and high compressibility.

'More and more tablets are being developed by direct compression due to the economic advantages the process offers over wet granulation,' said Mark Wastijn, marketing director, Cerestar. 'We are investing considerable resources into the development of new excipients which meet this need, and C*PharmMannidex is the latest.'

C*PharmMannidex, which was specifically developed for use in direct compression, is characterised by a narrow particle size distribution centred on 140µm, which assists flow and makes the weight variation of the tablets very low. In addition, it is said to be an ideal excipient for formulating chewable tablets, including vitamin preparation and antacid formulations, and, due to its very low moisture content, acts as an ideal excipient alongside moisture sensitive actives.