Functional Excipients
2023 COMPANY PROFILES & CAPABILITIES
For each participating company, this section presents a detailed summary highlighting their core technologies, capabilities, technologies, and services.
FORMULATION FORUM – Lipid Nanoparticles: Tackling Solubility Challenges With Lipid-Based Technologies for Oral & Injectable Formulations
Jim Huang, PhD, and Shaukat Ali, PhD, believe as more hydrophobic or brick dust and/or lipophilic or waxy molecules come out of discovery, amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) and lipid based self-emulsifying microemulsions, nanoemulsions, liposomes, and nanoparticles are ideal for oral and injectable formulations.
EXCIPIENT COMPACTION STUDY – Developing a Reliable Controlled-Release Polymer Using a Compaction Simulator
Gopeshkumar Singh, MS, and Ajit Bhagat provide study results showing that through polymer chemistry, it is viable to effectively manufacture matrix tablets via a simple direct compression method; and Hypromellose has impressive compatibility at various compression forces.
TOP SPRAY GRANULATION – POLYOX™: Producing Lightweight Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets for Patient Adherence & Cost-Effective Manufacturing
Atul Lohade, PhD, Vinay Muley, and Tejas Gunjikar, PhD, explain how understanding the challenges associated with developing smaller extended-release tablets, and the excipient-based solutions to these challenges, will empower formulators to develop robust, stable drug formulations with high patient adherence while cutting manufacturing costs.
WEBINAR – Understanding Patch Composition for Effective Transdermal Delivery
As the advantages of transdermal drug delivery grow, the global market for transdermal patches also is growing. Join DuPont™ Liveo™ Healthcare Solutions and Gattefossé Pharmaceuticals for a complimentary one-hour webinar to explore the current….
WHITE PAPER – Poloxamer: A Simple & Powerful Solution for Accelerating Dissolution
This white paper will introduce the concept of dissolution and discuss how poloxamers are a simple yet powerful formulation approach that can enhance dissolution rate, while minimizing resource requirements.
SPECIAL FEATURE – Excipients: Exciting Expansion & Innovation
Contributor Cindy H. Dubin speaks with several companies and presents a unique look at how excipients are being used to support current and future innovative active pharmaceutical ingredients.
FORMULATION FORUM – Oral Formulation Approaches for Different Stages of Clinical Studies
Jim Huang, PhD, says it is of the utmost important task to utilize a phase-appropriate formulation development approach for early and later-stage commercial development of oral dosage forms.
FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT – Impact of Excipients & Manufacturing Process on Solubility-Enhanced Ritonavir Tablet Size & Weight Reduction
Gayatri Khanvilkar, MPharm, Ajit Bhagat, and Tejas Gunjikar, PhD, investigate bulking agents and disintegrants to develop efficacious Rotonavir tablets with improved in vitro release.
EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW – Kytosan USA, Inc.: Blazing a Trail in Chitosan Manufacturing in the United States
Dr. Joseph F. Bristow, Chief Technology Officer for Kytosan USA, discusses chitosan and its impact on the pharmaceutical industry, as well as Kytosan USA’s production plans.
EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT

Roquette Completes Acquisition of Qualicaps & Reinforces Global Position in the Pharmaceutical Industry
This strategic investment creates a stronger leader, with an expanded global footprint, as well as an enriched offering of oral dosage solutions…..

Acquisition of Solus BioTech Expands Croda’s Specialized Pharma Business in Asia
Croda International Plc recently announced it has acquired Solus BioTech, a global leader in premium, biotechnology-derived materials, from Solus Advanced Materials…..

Lubrizol Licenses Award-Winning Apisolex™ Excipient to Welton Pharma to Develop a Novel Cancer Therapeutic
The Lubrizol Corporation recently announced the licensing of its novel excipient polymer technology, Apisolex™ excipient, to Welton Pharma (Welton). The license allows….

Croda Announces Two New Partnerships to Drive Sustainable Delivery Systems for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Croda International Plc recently announced it has signed two new partnership agreements that will help the pharmaceutical industry move toward a more sustainable supply chain for vaccine adjuvants…..

Roquette Announces Strategic Investment & Innovation Agreement With Beren Therapeutics P.B.C.
Roquette recently announce a strategic investment with Beren Therapeutics P.B.C., and the launch of an innovation agreement to expand the full potential of Beren’s cyclodextrin technologies and their medicinal….
MARKET NEWS & TRENDS
WEBINARS

WEBINAR – Beyond the Lab: Unleashing the Potential of In Silico Modeling in Drug Product Formulation
In this webinar you will learn how digital chemistry tools facilitate rapid screening of formulation parameters, aiding in the identification of optimal drug delivery systems, excipient selection, and dosage forms….

WEBINAR – Understanding Patch Composition for Effective Transdermal Delivery
As the advantages of transdermal drug delivery grow, the global market for transdermal patches also is growing. Join DuPont™ Liveo™ Healthcare Solutions and Gattefossé Pharmaceuticals for a complimentary one-hour webinar to explore the current….

Where Do We Stand on Poorly Soluble Drugs and Peptides in Oral Delivery?
The Rule of 5 suggests that, for oral bioavailability, a better chance for oral absorption is obtained when the molecules are within the parameters of the Rule of 5’. However, the pharmaceutical industry is achieving oral efficacy with drugs that exceed….

Oral Delivery of Hydrophilic Macromolecules: Lipid-Based Nanocarriers as Key to Success
This LIVE event has already taken place CLICK HERE to access the recorded version of this event and receive a copy of the presentation. Join…
WHITE PAPERS

WHITEPAPER – Copolymer Microstructures: Connecting Monomer Sequence Distribution With Biomedical End-Application Performance
To gain insights into advanced copolymer characterization techniques and their impact on drug release in biomedical products, we invite you to explore the latest Corbion white paper…..

WHITEPAPER – Monitoring Low Dose API Blend Uniformity With Parteck® M Mannitol Using Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy
Direct compression is often used for tablet manufacturing because it is the shortest, most effective, and least complex method. The physical properties of active pharmaceutical…

WHITEPAPER – The Viscosity Reduction Platform: Viscosity-Reducing Excipients for Protein Formulation
This white paper evaluates the viscosity-reducing capacities of excipients and excipient combinations…..

WHITEPAPER – Improving API Solubility by Salt & Cocrystal Formation
Ensuring sufficient solubility is critical to the success of small molecule drugs. An active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) must be absorbed by the body and enter the systemic circulation to deliver the desired therapeutic effect. Many APIs,….

WHITEPAPER – Overcoming the Knowledge Gap: Long-Acting Injectables & Implantables
This whitepaper delves into the numerous benefits of long-acting drug delivery systems, including their ability to harness highly potent APIs, streamline development and intellectual property protection, and provide consistent drug release over extended periods.
What are functional excipients?
The global pharmaceutical excipients market was valued at $7.7 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $11.2 billion by 2026. Functional excipients are witnessing a strong demand as companies supply a wide range of functional excipients that help manufacturers produce cost-effective, high-quality, finished pharmaceutical product. Many industry experts point to a widening demand and use of organic pharmaceutical excipients. These organic excipients include oleochemicals, petrochemicals, proteins, carbohydrates, and others. Additionally, binders and functional excipients are witnessing a strong demand. Regarding delivery route, it is the topical segment that is witnessing fast growth in the global pharmaceutical excipients market, as topical drug delivery is witnessing a significantly stronger progression because of its ability to surpass the metabolism pathways of the stomach and liver.
However, the high cost associated with the drug development process will impede the growth rate of the pharmaceutical excipients market. Additionally, strict government regulations have hindered the pharmaceutical excipients market growth. Safety, quality concerns, and lack of awareness will further challenge the market in the forecast period mentioned above.
This is particularly true for novel excipients, which do have technical, therapeutic, and commercial benefits in oral drug delivery. Despite their formulation-enhancing benefits, novel excipients are sacrificed early in development because of a lack of precedence of use.
Without an independent pathway to allow new excipients or new uses for existing excipients into drug products, except when associated with a drug filing, there are limited tools available for pharmaceutical companies to formulate better performing, and in many cases, life-saving drugs. Meanwhile, drug manufacturers are reluctant to use new excipients and take on the additional layer of scrutiny from regulatory agencies to demonstrate full excipient characterization, safety, quality, function, and appropriateness of use.
Functional Excipients and the FDA
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged that the lack of novel excipients is indeed a problem. In September 2021, the Agency announced the Novel Excipient Review Pilot Program, which will select and review four novel excipients in the next two years using a new pathway. This will allow manufacturers to obtain an FDA review prior to the use of the novel excipient in a drug formulation.
The FDA’s recent stance and acceptance that the novel excipients are critical in development of new drug candidates, the perceptions around the novel excipients are being changed as the Agency continues to embrace the facts that the pharma industry is in dire need of new excipients for bringing the innovative drugs to the market faster. This is the first time in history that the agency is opening doors for novel excipients to be freely evaluated and used in the innovative formulations for NCEs.
Note, though, that this is not an excipient approval process; the novel excipient would still be evaluated as part of the overall drug product approval. In the next 3 to 5 years, we can expect to see an acceleration in the examination of the composition and purity of excipients.