Bend Research expands hot-melt extrusion capabilities
New equipment fills out processing options for hot-melt extrusion
Bend Research, a US drug-formulation development and manufacturing company, has added intermediate hot-melt extrusion capabilities to its contract manufacturing services.
The firm has bought an 18mm extruder, which offers capacity between existing 7.5mm and 27mm extruders.
The company claims the new equipment will reduce the amount of drug required for development work, resulting in savings to clients, and enables fast and efficient advancement of compounds.
The three extruders enable seamless scale-up of a formulation from small-scale development work through large-scale manufacture of clinical supplies using cGMP regulations for human clinical trials.
Bend Research chief executive Rod Ray said the new equipment broadens the company's technology offerings for the delivery of low-solubility drugs.
The Bend, Oregon-based firm has had the capability to manufacture hot-melt extrusions since 2002 at its cGMP manufacturing facilities.
‘Bend Research is adding specialised suites for high-potency pharmaceutical compounds and has a full range of equipment (e.g. mills, blenders, tabletting equipment) to transform the hot-melt extrusion formulations into suitable dosage forms,’ said Ray.
‘We worked closely with a client to develop modified-release product based on hot-melt extrusion that made it possible for patients to take a single dose of an antibiotic rather than a multi-day regimen.’
