Catalent launches softgel products at CPhI: one vegetarian, one anti-abuse

“Softgel has been the backbone of the company for many decades now,”​ Will Downie, Senior VP of Global Business at Catalent told this publication in Frankfurt yesterday, as it showcased two new softgel offerings.

The first is the Optishell which uses seaweed in place of gelatin, offering a capsuling solution for those who don’t meat. The technology also allows high melting point, high pH or semi-solid APIs to be put into softgels.

With OptiGel Lock, various resins and delivery technology are used to stop potential abusers extracting the API and injecting them intravenously, Downie said.

The two new products all provide “more versatility​” for Catalent’s… global softgel customers and this business sits alongside the Advanced Technologies Business Unit​, formed earlier this year. “We brought together our sterile technology, together with our modified release, controlled release and Zydis technology, under one umbrella.”​

Downie also spoke about recent acquisitions in the softgel field, in China​ and Brazil​, explaining how Catalent is “moving with the market dynamics … as economies change and emerging markets become more important.”​

This article was corrected from the original as Downie was talking about the Optishell technology rather than the Optigel Bio, as was first reported. The Optigel Bio is another new product for the delivery of macro molecules.​