Molecular Profiles and GEA Process Engineering Partner to Assess Early Screening of Poorly Water Soluble Drugs for Improved Solubility.

(Nottingham, 14 May 2012) Molecular Profiles, a leading specialist contract research and manufacturing organisation, announces that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with GEA Process Engineering - the company behind the world-recognized GEA Niro spray drying technology. Using the GEA Niro DRYNETICS^TM, single particle spray drying approach, the collaboration will assess early screening of poorly water soluble drugs and polymer compositions for the improvement in solubility.  This partnership further highlights Molecular Profiles’ comprehensive materials characterisation capabilities for supporting formulation development strategies through an expert assessment and understanding of the link between structure, function and stability.

Developed with the aim to ensure the improved screening of drug candidates earlier on in the development process, Molecular Profiles and GEA Process Engineering are working to develop a unique way of preparing solid dispersions of drugs and polymers.  The purpose is to understand the viability of the potential drug delivery platform at single particle scale by comparing with batch produced spray dried approaches. GEA Process Engineering is the world leader in process engineering, process equipment and plant engineering, specialising in the manufacture of products in powder, granular or agglomerate form in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. With 79 years experience in supplying spray drying solutions to the pharmaceutical industry, the Danish-based company has gained a wealth of data in this industry. The benefits of using the GEA Niro technology for this application are the ability to assess the stability of drugs in polymer systems where only an extremely limited amount of API is available and where multiple polymer types/drug loadings are required to be screened for developability.

Claire Madden-Smith at Molecular Profiles comments “We are pleased to have partnered with GEA Process Engineering on this project which enables us to collaboratively bring an innovative research approach to formulation development”.

Jesper Jensen, Research Engineer, GEA Process Engineering comments “The combined efforts of GEA Process Engineering and Molecular Profiles will rigorously test new approaches in spray drying formulations and we’re looking forward to be able to offer improved processes and efficiencies for formulation development”. 

The collaboration highlights Molecular Profiles’ ability to characterise the physicochemical properties of ‘single’ particle spray dried materials and compare with conventional spray dried material prepared at bulk scale. Griseofulvin-PEG6000 solid dispersion samples at 2.5 % and 20 % loading are analysed using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), confocal Raman microscopy, FT Raman/FTIR, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to compare surface vs. bulk properties and determine equivalence of the materials produced using the two processes.

More information about Molecular Profiles’ award-winning services is available at www.molprofiles.co.uk, by e-mail at info@molprofiles.co.uk or call Andrew Parker on +44 115 8718888.

About Molecular Profiles

Molecular Profiles was founded in 1997 by a group of pharmaceutical scientists specialising in advanced characterisation of pharmaceutical and biological materials. Since then, the company has achieved a unique global position in pharmaceutical R&D and has developed a wide portfolio of pharmaceutical development services including formulation & analytical development and clinical trial manufacturing up to and including Phase II. The company is ideally placed to offer its clients a range of targeted solutions to help them to overcome the most challenging issues in drug development. Molecular Profiles’ contribution to the industry was acknowledged in 2007 and 2011 by the receipt of the Queens Award for Enterprise in the innovation category, the most prestigious business honour achievable in the UK.

For further press information please contact: Celine Goodier, The Scott Partnership,  1 Whiteside, Station Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, CW4 8AA, United Kingdom.    

Tel:  + 44 1477 539 539 Fax: +44 1477 539 540 E-mail: molecular@scottpr.com.