Lonza's powder upgrade in Tampa, US

Published: 8-Mar-2023

New instruments will provide greater understanding of the behaviour of the powdered drug substance, excipients and blends used to develop new dosage units

Lonza today announces a significant enhancement to its powder characterisation capabilities at its Small Molecules site in Tampa, Florida (US). The facility has been upgraded to include universal powder flow testing alongside automated particle size and shape analysis capabilities. The addition of new instruments at the site is enabling a greater understanding of the behaviour of powdered drug substances, excipients and blends used in the development of new dosage units. 

The new powder flow tester can characterise powder flow properties, offering valuable insight for pharmaceutical processing and formulation. The high sensitivity of this instrument enables the identification of minimal property differences. 

The tool can test samples in various states by simulating a range of powder processing conditions. Examining different aspects of a powder’s behaviour can unlock a more comprehensive understanding of its dynamic flow, bulk and shear properties. These enhanced capabilities will support Lonza’s scientists and customers when filling capsules with powders and blends, both for solid oral dosage forms or inhalation drug products. 

We can now better understand powder behaviours and – in turn – optimise drug product formulations for our customers

The site has also installed a new instrument that uses static image analysis techniques to characterise particles. Its capability to comprehensively map the size and shape of powder particles will be advantageous when designing and manufacturing new dosage forms. This upgrade will improve the evaluation of powders used in inhalers, where the identification of particle size and shape can be critical. 

Mark Cappucci, Pre-Formulation Team Lead, Lonza Tampa, said: “With the enhanced characterisation capabilities and tools at our Tampa facility, we can now better understand powder behaviours and – in turn – optimise drug product formulations for our customers. This is an important development in the context of the increasing complexity of molecules in the pipeline.”

Relevant companies

You may also like