Advancements in personalized medicine and other innovations are transforming the way dosage forms are viewed.

Reshaping Dosage Forms

This study aimed to develop a taste-masked drug resin complex using the ion exchange resin Kyron T-114.

Development of Taste-Masked Oral Dispersible Tablets of Cefpodoxime Proxetil

Novel genetic engineering technologies are transforming the design and manufacture of bispecific antibodies, which are emerging as a promising new class of biologics.

Frontrunners in Bispecific Antibodies

Topic

Patricia Van Arnum was executive editor of Pharmaceutical Technology.

Articles

InformexUSA, San Francisco (Feb. 14)-Almac Sciences plans to collaborate for cytotoxic fill-and-finish services with the Center for Pharmaceutical Science and Technology (CPST) at the University of Kentucky.

Almac Invests in Highly Potent API and Formulation Services

Washington, DC (Feb. 14)?A congressional team has reintroduced the ?Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act,? which establishes a process through which the US Food and Drug Administration can approve generic copies of biologic drugs.

Congressional Bill Establishes Biogenerics Approval Path

Washington, DC (Jan. 26)-The US Department of Health and Human Services has granted targeted liability protections for manufacturers of a vaccine to prevent a pandemic of influenza A (H5N1).

HHS Offers Liability Protections for Flu Vaccine Manufacturers

Rakesh P. Patel is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, S. K. Patel College of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Ganpat University, Gujarat, India.

Madhabhai M. Patel is a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics, Kalol Pharmacy College, Kalol, Gujarat, India.

The objectives of this study were to prepare and characterize inclusion complexes of lovastatin with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβ-CD) and to study the effect of the complexes on the dissolution rate of lovastatin (LVS). The findings suggest that LVS's poor dissolution profile can be overcome by preparing its inclusion complex with HPβ-CD.

Solid-State Characterization and Dissolution Properties of Lovastatin Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex

For solid oral-dosage forms, water testing usually is performed to control the chemical, physical, or microbiological properties of the drug product. Measurements of total water as made with Karl Fischer (KF) techniques is not needed and water-activity often will provide a better correlation with changes in chemical, physical, or microbiological properties than KF techniques. In these cases, water activity testing can easily replace KF testing. Water-activity measurements are nondestructive, require little labor, and the equipment required is generally inexpensive. Only a few simple checks are needed to ensure the validity of measurements. Strategies for implementing water activity testing are described.

Implementation of Water-Activity Testing to Replace Karl Fischer Water Testing for Solid Oral-Dosage Forms

The same phenomena that create lightning and thunderstorms are around us every day, producing incredibly high voltages, which cause sparks and shocks. Static electricity is a mighty force. Each year excessive electrical charge build cause explosions in the grain industry.1 Look around any flammable storage area and you will see both grounding bars on the wall and cables, from the grounding bars connected to the drums of solvents. Take any material safety data sheet (MSDS) for a powder and look in section V; it highlights that any dry powder has the potential to attract and store a charge.

Static electricity in solid dosage manufacturing

Over the past decade, disposable technologies have become a reality in biotech processes. The use of disposables in research and manufacturing allows high flexibility.

Disposable bioreactors based on wave agitation technology

Brain and heart broth is still used in path labs, but, when it comes to biopharmaceutical manufacturing, cells are having to learn to do without animal components whenever possible.

Cell culture must go vegetarian

Pfizer's restructuring plan provides yet another example of new supply-chain strategies by the pharmaceutical majors, which involve rationalization of manufacturing facilities and cost improvement. A review of these moves, an outlook for the pharmaceutical market in 2007, and analysis of US pharmaceutical production and trade.

Changing Fortunes in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Following the sales of its global branded pharmaceutical business, 3M stays the course in drug delivery as its Drug Delivery Systems Division advances technology in inhalation and transdermal drug delivery.