Capsugel will unveil successor to Xcelodose system for micro-dosing drug powders into capsules and vials at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) meeting in San Diego this month
The new Xcelodose S system will feature a 50% increase in throughput rate for filled capsules.
Additional improvements include an integral high throughput unit and expanded software functionality.
These enhancements will be available in both the 120 and 600 models, which will replace the existing Xcelodose products.
The company says its Xcelodose system, launched in 2002, revolutionised the preparation of drug materials for early stage clinical trials and formulation development.
For the first time, pharmaceutical companies could fill pure active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) directly into capsules or other small dose containers, with a level of accuracy and precision previously unattainable.
By automatically dispensing drug substance alone into capsules, pharmaceutical companies can benefit from a reduction in development time by as much as six months.
Eliminating the need for formulation for early stage trials enables companies to more quickly reach the crucial 'go/no go' point for continuing development following phase I clinical studies.
In short, it says, the Xcelodose system has made achieving the goal of 'faster time to first in man' a reality.
David Edwards, director of pharmaceutical technology for Capsugel, said the impetus behind the new generation of Xcelodose machines was increased throughput.
"Since we originally launched Xcelodose, we have found that batch sizes have increased tenfold; from thousands of capsules per batch, to tens of thousands or more per batch.
"It became clear that the number one customer requirement was for increased throughput, followed closely by reliability over longer runs".
Keith Hutchison, Capsugel's vice-president of R+D, re-affirmed the company's commitment to innovation.
"With more than 50 Xcelodose systems installed at pharmaceutical, biotech and CRO companies worldwide, capsule micro-filling has become an established technology for early stage clinical trials.
"Our goal with the Xcelodose S is to substantially advance our strategy of providing innovative solutions to our customers."
