Capsule Fillers, Shelf-Life Protection on Display at INTERPHEX 2019

Visitors to INTERPHEX 2019 (April 2-4, 2019, Javits Center, New York, NY) will see several innovations for solid-dosage forms. 

Capsule fillers

At least two new capsule fillers will be presented. The high-speed ZRO 200T capsule filler from ACG can be configured for speeds ranging from 90,000 to 200,000 capsules/hour. Lower waste means higher yield and overall equipment effectiveness. With an accurate micro-dosing capability of up to 15 mg, the patented machine is ideal for powders that are sticky, fluffy, hygroscopic, heat-sensitive, or free-flowing, or that contain a high percentage of fines. Integration with the company’s Accura capsule checkweigher provides 100% inspection (1). 

Another high-speed capsule filler, the FEC20 model from Fette Compacting America, also offers a maximum capacity of 200,000 capsules/hr. New to US market, it offers a single capsule filling and discharge station (1). 

Protecting shelf-life

Blister optimization, shelf-life protection, and faster speed to market are the goals behind the new Xcelerate service from Aptar CSP Technologies. The service involves customizing an Activ-Blister design for moisture- and oxygen-sensitive tablets and capsules, verifying its scavenging capabilities, producing clinical trial and stability samples, and providing regulatory support and consulting, plus testing during commercial implementation. The result is a substantially shorter package design, testing, and implementation process. In some cases, months of trail-and-error iterations can be eliminated. Activ-Blister designs rely on silica gel and molecular sieve technology to control the internal atmosphere of each blister cavity and absorb tailored amounts of water vapor, oxygen, or a combination of the two (1). 

To ensure products are maintained within the proper temperature range, Faubel and ELPRO have joined forces to pre-apply ELPRO Libero ITS temperature indicators to Faubel-Compact multi-language booklet labels. With a four-year battery life, the Libero ITS sensor enables seamless, end-to-end temperature monitoring from point-of-fill to patient. Breaking an indicator tab starts the recording process. In addition to recording deviations, the unit can create reports and manage stability budgets. Product status can be viewed with a press of a button. A free smartphone app allows receiving sites, clinics, and pharmacists to generate a readout showing percentage of stability budget used, eliminating the need to piece together time-out-of-refrigeration segments. The smartphone app also allows the user to print or email a report to communicate the release or status of the product. The liberoMANAGER Cloud database securely archives the data. The 3x30x30-mm temperature indicator is small and thin enough to be compatible with other label formats such as wraparound and flag labels for vials (2). “The LIBERO ITS offers end-to-end assurance for increasingly complex global supply chains with several transit and storage points and various handlers,” concluded Simon Kaufmann, product development manager at ELPRO (3). 

References

1. C. Dale, “Interphex NYC, April 2-4,” Email, March 13, 2019.
2. Faubel, “Secured-All Around,” Press Release, Aug. 15, 2018.
3. ELPRO, “LIBERO ITS-a ‘Game Changer’ in Temperature Monitoring,” Press Release, Sept. 24, 2018.