Hot Melt Coating Enables Rapid and Cost-Effective Production of User-Friendly Dosage Forms

With over 40 years of experience, Hermes Pharma is an expert in developing and manufacturing user-friendly solid oral dosage forms such as effervescent tablets and orally disintegrating granules (ODGs). Designed to start dissolving before ingestion, e.g., in a glass of water, or be directly applied in the mouth, they are easier to ingest than conventional tablets, boosting patient compliance and treatment effectiveness.

However, as ODGs spend more time in the mouth and are tasted, they must be skilfully coated to maintain stability and deliver the desired release profile.

Traditional coating requires that the API and excipients be first dissolved in a liquid and then sprayed onto a seed particle. However, organic solvents can be expensive, toxic and flammable, while using water increases drying times and costs. Therefore, Hermes Pharma is currently conducting research into hot melt coating (HMC) as an alternative technology.

Dr. Detlev Haack of Hermes Pharma said: “HMC removes the need for solvents while offering shorter processing times and lower production costs. During HMC, the solid core of the API is covered with a molten, lipid-based mixture at carefully controlled temperatures, which then solidifies to form a homogeneous coating. However, such coatings are sometimes unstable or can exhibit unpredictable API-release properties, making lipid-characterisation and stability-projection important prerequisites for successful HMC.

“Our data shows that we have found a way to effectively circumvent these issues and can formulate stable, pleasant-tasting products with the desired API-release profile. We look forward to making this knowhow accessible to our customers.”

Hermes Arzneimittel GmbH, +49 89 79102 261, www.hermes-pharma.com.