First product from new drug delivery company

Meridica, the new company spun off by PA Con-sulting to develop new drug delivery technologies, launched its first product at the show. Xcelodose is a 'revolutionary' precision micro-filling system that is expected to reduce pharmaceutical development time significantly.

According to Meridica, the machine is based on an entirely new technology platform, which enables capsules with weights as low as 100µg to be filled with drug alone at an accuracy not previously achievable. The accuracy, consistency and reliability of the Xcelodose technology obviates the need to blend small amounts of drug substances with excipients for ease of handling. This traditional approach can add considerable time and expense to the development process because of the need to test the blend constantly to ensure adequate homogeneity and stability.

Xcelodose has a sophisticated software system to control the filling process and the degree of precision required. It can handle weights from 100µg up to 100mg consistently and precisely and automatically weighs and records the exact amount of drug required into each capsule.

Two versions of the system have been introduced: Xcelodose 600 is fully automated and intended for early stage clinical trials, while Xcelodose 120 is a manual feed system for the preparation of materials for pre-clinical safety studies.

Xcelovent, Meridica's novel, breath-actuated metered-dose inhaler device, is at an advanced stage of development and the company is seeking a partner to take the technology forward.