Microencapsulation is one of the most interesting areas in modern pharmaceutical technology. It is a complex, interdisciplinary field requiring specialist knowledge of polymer science and familiarity with emulsion technology. It includes the process in which the active pharmaceutical ingredient is trapped in small microparticles. Due to its complexity, micro-encapsulation is extensively studied inside major pharmaceutical companies, universities and research institutes.
Polymeric drug delivery devices are focused on the encapsulation of large molecules including peptides, proteins and DNA/RNA for potential use as vaccines and as long-acting release drug formulations. Moreover, encapsulation is used for controlling the release of poorly soluble compounds. Demand for the process has led to the creation of advanced emulsion solvent evaporation/extraction based micro-encapsulation technologies.
The process of microencapsulation addresses complex modern drug delivery issues. For example, EmulTech and Aesica Pharmaceuticals have developed, and put to use in the formulation of drugs for clinical trials, a microfluidic process that creates a sterile microparticulate suspension where particle size is uniform and reproducible. This novel emulsion technology for micro-encapsulation, ET4ME, is usable in the formulation of multiple APIs, from small molecules right through to complex biomolecules, with high levels of batch consistency and reproducibility upon scale-up. By utilising a closed system, sterile formulations can be achieved, coupled with resistance to oxidative degradation. Aesica has completed successful aseptic process simulation trials using the ET4ME process, thus demonstrating the technology’s potential for sterile injectable product formulation.
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