Catalent launches new delayed release softgel

Photo © iStockphoto.com/MarsBars

Catalent (Somerset, NJ) launched a delayed-release technology called OptiGel DR, which allows softgel capsules to be formed by combining pectin with gelatin to eliminate the need for a separate capsule-coating step. This technology can be used in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Delayed release technology protects active ingredients from stomach acid, so they are released in directly in the intestines, potentially enhancing bioavailability. 

“Catalent has a long history in softgel innovation, stretching back more than 85 years, and this latest evolution of the technology allows innovators to design the most efficient products, and bring superior pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products to the marketplace,” said Aris Gennadios, PhD, Catalent’s president for softgel and oral technologies, in a press release. “The technology we have developed allows the delayed release profile to be incorporated into the softgel capsule shell, broadening the applications, and making a separate capsule coating step unnecessary. This reduces time and yield loss and eliminates potential quality issues associated with coated softgels.”

OptiGel DR capsules can also help reduce gastric reflux effects, and they eliminate the processing and performance challenges associated with conventionally coated delayed release softgels.