Catalent’s delayed-release softgels slash time and losses while bolstering bioavailability

20 Oct 2020 --- Catalent, a manufacturer of delivery technologies for drugs, has released Optigel DR, a design for delayed-release softgel capsules that eliminates the need for a second coating step in the manufacturing process. This is done by combining pectin with gelatin.

“The technology broadens the applications and makes a separate-capsule coating step unnecessary. This reduces time and yield loss and eliminates potential quality issues associated with coated softgels,” comments Dr. Aris Gennadios, president of Softgel and Oral Technologies at Catalent.

“Catalent has a long history in softgel innovation, stretching back more than 85 years. This latest evolution of the technology allows innovators to design the most efficient products, and bring superior pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products to the marketplace” Gennadios continues. 

Optigel DR will first be offered at Catalent’s site in Florida, US, and is intended to be rolled out at other facilities in Germany, Brazil, Japan, Canada and Italy in the future. 

Catalent’s new delayed-release softgel capsules have a simpler manufacturing process.The “preferred delivery format”
Delayed or enteric-release capsules offer the advantage of protecting active ingredients until they reach the intestines, avoiding degradation in stomach acid. Earlier onset of effects and a reduction in side effects are also advantages of softgel capsules. 

This can improve the bioavailability of ingredients and helps reduce heartburn, which is particularly essential for pungent ingredients such as fish oil or garlic products. 

Catalent says that consumers choose softgel capsules as they are easier to swallow and do not have the bitter taste and rough texture of pills. It also has the benefit of being able to hold liquids, which the body absorbs faster. 

There are many nutrients and active ingredients, often in the form of oils, that cannot be formulated into solid tablets. Catalent therefore sees the use of softgel capsules as a preferable choice of delivery format. 

Softgel innovation 
The OptigelDR comes amid a host of innovations in softgel capsules. Cambridge Commodities recently released capsules featuring palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (ROSP) and manufactured in sites with approved standards. 

Similarly, DuPont’s seaweed-based softgel seeks to offer a plant-based alternative to traditional capsules and recently received a non-GMO approval for the product. The company hopes this will attract consumers looking for sustainable products, especially ones that can be guaranteed safe for vegan, kosher, or helal diets. 

European nutraceutical company Ayanda also released an original softgel capsule containing probiotics and omega 3. Taking over ten years to develop, this innovation was designed to aid the health of unborn children and their mothers. 

By Louis Gore-Langton