Starch excipient is soft on tabletting machinery
excipient that it claims allows tablets to be produced using lower
compression force, which should result in reduced wear and tear on
tabletting machinery and operational downtime, writes Phil
Taylor.
C*PharmMannidex, a mannitol-based excipient, enables customers to formulate tablets with higher doses of active ingredients, according to a spokesperson for Cerestar, who also pointed out the growing demand for starch-based excipients that do not come from animal sources.
The new product also has the benefits of being non-hygroscopic and chemically stable, with good flowability and high compressibility.
"More and more tablets are being developed by direct compression due to the economic advantages the process offers over wet granulation," said Mark Wastijn, marketing director at Cerestar, a subsidiary of Cargill.
C*PharmMannidex, which was specifically developed for use in direct compression, is characterised by a narrow particle size distribution centred on 140microns which assists flow and makes the weight variation of the tablets very low. Hard tablets are obtained at all compression forces without the tendency for capping or laminating, according to the company.
In addition, it is claimed to be an ideal excipient for formulating chewable tablets, including vitamin preparations and antacid formulations, and, because it has a very low moisture content, is particularly suited for use alongside active compounds that are sensitive to water.
