Piramal Pharma Solutions Launches Tablet-in-Capsule Technology for Enhanced Drug Delivery
Key Insights
Piramal Pharma Solutions successfully developed and commercialized tablet-in-capsule drug delivery technology at its facilities in Pithampur and Ahmedabad, India.
The technology enables dual actives or dual-release profiles within a single capsule, providing enhanced dosing flexibility and improved medication adherence for patients.
The project was completed in just five months through seamless technology transfer between sites, demonstrating Piramal's integrated manufacturing capabilities.
Piramal Pharma Solutions, a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), has successfully developed, scaled-up, and commercialized a tablet-in-capsule drug delivery system at its drug product facilities in Pithampur and Ahmedabad, India. The achievement represents a significant advancement in oral drug delivery technology, offering pharmaceutical partners enhanced flexibility for complex therapeutic formulations.
Rapid Technology Transfer Success
The project was initiated at the Piramal Pharmaceutical Development Services (search) (PPDS) site in Ahmedabad and completed within just five months. The site team successfully transferred the technology to Piramal's commercial manufacturing site in Pithampur, including the development of three tablets to be encapsulated. This rapid timeline demonstrates the company's integrated capabilities and efficient cross-site collaboration.
The success relied heavily on Piramal's extensive experience with integrated programs. Tech transfer teams at both Ahmedabad and Pithampur facilities supported a seamless transition throughout development and scale-up, while integrated program managers ensured timing obstacles were overcome. Quality control and validation teams at both sites collaborated to guarantee the product's safety and efficacy.
Advanced Drug Delivery Technology
Traditional capsules contain a mixture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (search) (APIs) and excipients in a two-piece hard shell, typically in bead, pellet, or powder form. While these capsules offer fast absorption and ease of use, they often limit patient dosing flexibility and control, making them less suitable for therapies with complex delivery mechanisms.
Tablet-in-capsule technology (search) offers a unique solution where different active ingredients are formulated into separate tablets or minitablets (search), which are then placed together into a single capsule shell. By applying distinct coatings to minitablets, drug developers can achieve versatile release profiles of the same or different drugs. This approach allows incompatible active ingredients to be combined into one capsule, providing patients a simplified way to limit dosing frequency and improve medication adherence.
Enhanced Patient Benefits
"By enabling dual actives in the same capsule or dual-release profiles within a single capsule, our tablet-in-capsule technology (search) provides unmatched dosing flexibility and release control, accelerating timelines for developers and simplifying dosing for patients," said Brad Gold (search), Ph.D., Head of Global Formulations R&D at Piramal Pharma Solutions and Member of Piramal's Science Collective.
Gold emphasized that because each drug is optimized in its own tablet or minitablet, this technology can enhance formulation stability and enable medicine personalization. The technology has transformed how the pharmaceutical industry tailors drug product development toward meeting patient needs.
Expanding Manufacturing Capabilities
With expanded tablet-in-capsule capabilities now in its toolkit, Piramal can offer partners and patients more flexible and customizable dosing options for critical oral drug therapies, including modified release drug delivery. This advancement reinforces the company's commitment to patient-centric solutions and demonstrates its leadership in advanced dosage form expertise.
Piramal Pharma Solutions operates through a globally integrated network of facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia, offering comprehensive services including drug discovery solutions, process and pharmaceutical development services, clinical trial supplies, and commercial supply of APIs and finished dosage forms. The company also provides specialized services for highly potent APIs, antibody-drug conjugations, sterile fill/finish, peptide products, and biologics including vaccines and gene therapies.