CAPSULE TECHNOLOGY - Enteric Capsule Drug Delivery Technology – Achieving Protection Without Coating | Articles | drug development and delivery back issues | Drug Development & Delivery

Enteric capsule drug delivery technology (ECDDT) was developed to provide oral delivery with full enteric protection and rapid release in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract without the use of coatings. ECDDT’s intrinsically enteric properties are attained by incorporating pharmaceutically approved enteric polymers in the capsule shell using conventional pin-dipping capsule manufacturing processes. By eliminating the preparation and application steps used for enteric coating, ECDDT can offer accelerated development timelines and reduced program risk. ECDDT can also enable the oral delivery of sensitive molecules, such as nucleotides and peptides, biological products such as vaccines, and live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), which can degrade at the high temperatures or can be sensitive to aqueous coating solution associated with pan and fluid bed coating processes. The enteric properties and rapid release of specialized ECDDT capsule shells have been demonstrated to meet pharmacopeia standards for both in vitro and in vivo performance using esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate (EMT) as a model compound.