Title: Fluid bed pelletization systems: CPS and Wurster technologies

Biography:

Zafar Iqbal has over 28 years of Formulation and Process development experience with strong business and technical skills. He has a successful track record of formulation and process development of difficult-to-craft modified release dosage forms and novel drug delivery systems. Prior to Glatt, he led various formulation and process teams at Barr Laboratories and Teva Pharmaceuticals and demonstrated his leadership and management skills.

Abstract

Granulation using fluid bed rotor processing has proven economical and manufacturing advantages to produce a high quality product targeting the desirable product profile for various dosage forms. Producing pellets using Glatt’s patented CPSTM technology has been a cornerstone of drug development for multiparticulate systems. Well defined granules developed from active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and other powders mixture to form multiparticulate systems such as pellets are an ideal platform for modified release dosage forms which can be administered as tablets, capsules or powders to patients. Spherical form of pellets is known to improve the powder flow, uniform particle size distribution and reduce contact surface area between particles as potential advantages. Applications for multiparticulate systems have been increasingly favored over single-unit dosage forms as a result of benefits such as controlled modified release of drugs via different dosage forms to target patient demographics. Coating process using fluid bed systems have been widely accepted process in applying uniform polymer coating onto multiparticulate systems. An overview of Wurster fluid bed equipment to understand formulation and process considerations in developing finished pharmaceutical dosage forms will be discussed.