Drug Development

Articles

The permeation of drugs through the skin is compromised by the presence of polar functional groups such as thiols, alcohols, phenols, imides or amides. By transiently masking these polar functional groups as prodrugs the permeability of drugs containing these functional groups through the skin can be improved.

Enhancing Topical Delivery Using Prodrugs

Lipid-based drug delivery systems - such as liposomes, micro-and nanoemulsions, self-emulsified drug delivery systems, and solid lipid micro-and nanoparticles - are becoming more popular because lipid materials are easily characterized, contain a high range of well-defined/tolerated surfactant molecules and can be developed for several administration routes.

Topical delivery of oily actives using solid lipid particles

Company and People Notes: BASF raises prices on excipients; Verus Pharmaceuticals appoints president and CEO; more.

Company and People Notes: BASF Raises Prices on Excipients; Verus Pharmaceuticals Appoints President and CEO; More

Patricia Van Arnum was executive editor of Pharmaceutical Technology.

Market demand for cytotoxic drugs is leading CMOs to expand their API manufacturing and formulation services.

Investing in High-Potency Manufacturing

Natural gums and mucilage have been widely explored as pharmaceutical excipients. The goal of this study was to extract mucilage from the leaves of Aloe barbadensis Miller and to study its functionality as an excipient in pharmaceutical sustained-release tablet formulations.

Evaluating Mucilage from Aloe Barbadensis Miller as a Pharmaceutical Excipient for Sustained-Release Matrix Tablets

The EIP process addresses the problems encountered with numerous questionnaires when qualifying excipient manufacturers.

The Excipient Information Package, A Win-Win Solution

The crystalline structure of pharmaceutical solids can sometimes be altered during processing. X-ray powder diffraction and near infrared spectroscopy can be used to determine the amorphous and crystalline content of a model substance. The two techniques' precision, accuracy, detection limit and the speed of analysis are compared.

Monitoring processing-induced crystallinity changes

The European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG) issued a position paper on excipients used in pharmaceutical manufacturing at CPhI Worldwide last week.

European Fine Chemicals Group Issues Position Paper on Excipients

David R. Schoneker is chairman of the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council of the Americas. He also is director of global regulatory affairs at Colorcon.

As China emerges as a significant supplier of pharmaceutical ingredients, it must assure other countries of the safety of its excipients.

Excipient Control Strategies in China

Amidst debate, the European Pharmacopoeia Commission is working to include physical or "functionality-related characteristics" of exipient materials in its monographs.

APIs and Excipients