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.

Wave Goodbye to Water Woes in the Garden and Home with the New AquaCharge Cordless Water Pump

GLOUCESTER, MA – 01 September, 2011 – From routine garden pond and aquarium draining to clogged sinks, the Rule Innovation AquaCharge is the water-pumping solution for the job. The launch of this product brings to the market a portable and rechargeable water pump that provides an instant solution for household use. The AquaCharge pump also has the unique ability of evading salt water corrosion, providing the capability to pump salt water in addition to fresh water.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Announces ICP-MS Solution to Address Serious Concerns Regarding Chromium VI in Drinking Water

CAMBRIDGE, UK (June 22, 2011) - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced a highly sensitive ICP-MS solution for chromium measurement in drinking water, including the potentially carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (chromium VI). The Thermo Scientific XSERIES 2 ICP-MS is able to detect levels of chromium VI at less than 0.01 parts per billion (ppb), which is significantly lower than the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines of 0.5 ppb. Implementation of the system will provide laboratories with fast and accurate measurement of the element to ensure confident compliance with the EPA standards.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit research organization, recently found chromium VI in the drinking water of 31 out of 35 U.S. cities tested, with the highest levels in samples from Norman in Oklahoma, Honolulu in Hawaii and Riverside, California. As a result of these findings, the EPA has advised U.S. water utilities to test more carefully for the presence of chromium in water sources. However, the methods on which many laboratories rely are not capable of meeting the desired 0.5 ppb level. ICP-MS methods in contrast offer unmatched sensitivity, from parts per billion into parts per trillion levels, for simultaneous analysis of numerous regulated contaminants in the EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.

ITT Analytics’ AADI and The University of North Carolina partner to monitor oil and gas releases in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Keys

ATLANTA, GA., April 28, 2011— ITT Corporation (NYSE:ITT) announced that its AADI brand has teamed up with the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill to develop two new multi-sensor arrays to detect light hydrocarbons and oxygen depletion associated with oil and gas releases such as recent occurrences in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This research is vital to monitor the long-term effects of water contamination and its threat to coral reef and other coastal ecosystems. The multi-sensor arrays, built on AADI’s SEAGUARD platform, have enabled scientists in the University’s Department of Marine Sciences to set new standards for the efficiency of analyses while offering unmatched precision and simple deployment.

The AADI SEAGUARD platform from ITT Analytics is a multi-parameter instrument offering advanced flexibility and real-time capabilities for underwater observation. The first of the new arrays developed from the platform, nicknamed HANDI by the UNC-Chapel Hill scientists, was deployed for testing in 2010 at Conch Reef off Key Largo, Florida. The array assisted the team by effectively detecting oxygen depletion and potential oil and gas transport along the reef ecosystem’s border with fast-moving water in the Florida Straits. Equipped with two of AADI’s fast-response optodes from ITT Analytics, HANDI offers the team immediate and reliable dissolved oxygen measurements without the need for repeated calibrations.

ITT Analytics' ebro introduces the EBI 40 multi-channel thermocouple data logger for high-accuracy measurement

WHITE PLAINS, NY., April 11, 2011 - ITT Corporation (NYSE:ITT) announces the introduction of the first of the ebro EBI 40 multi-channel data loggers from ITT Analytics. The 12-channel thermocouple data logger is ideal for thermal mapping in food, industrial, pharmaceutical and general lab applications, offering simple and high-accuracy measurement over wide temperature ranges.

The easy-to-use ebro EBI 40 multi-channel thermocouple data logger from ITT Analytics, has been designed for a wide-range of applications including the measurement of core temperatures during baking processes, monitoring baking and freezing procedures and validation of dry heat sterilizers. In addition, the system enables simple qualification of coating lines and heat distribution studies in thermal chambers. Offering precise quality control of processes due to constant temperature monitoring, the data logger ensures repeatability. The instrument also provides users with increased productivity and performance, resulting in significant cost savings and increased product output.