Capsugel Expands Global Manufacturing for Finished-Dosage Forms

Capsugel’s Dosage Form Solutions (DFS) business unit will upgrade and expand three of its manufacturing facilities in the United States and Europe, Capsugel announced in a press release. The multimillion-dollar investments broaden the company’s global capabilities to handle hormonal as well as high-potent compounds for soft gelatin and liquid-fill hard capsules (LFHC) in response to a growing demand from its pharmaceutical and health and nutrition customers.
The expansions are part of the implementation of the DFS unit’s Lipidex technology platform, which was launched in June 2013.

At the Ploermel facility in France, the company will increase containment capacity to handle hormonal as well as high-potent compounds in softgel manufacturing. Upgrades include a high-precision dosing system and high-speed capsule printing capability. At the Livingston facility in the United Kingdom, Capsugel will add laboratory space, equipment, and analytical scientists. The latest generation CFS 1500 capsule filling and sealing machine, which incorporates proprietary Fusion technology, has been installed, and the proprietary lipid expert system has been incorporated into the team’s finished dosage form development process. At the Greenwood facility in the US, the company commissioned and validated a commercial-scale liquid-fill encapsulation unit for pharmaceutical applications. Installation of commercial-production capability for the new solid-lipid-pellet (SLP) technology has also been initiated. SLP technology is currently being used on select customer development projects as a unique lipid-based formulation option for bioenhancement and other formulation issues.