Skip to main content

Maximising product potential with spray drying

27th February 2024

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Michael Levis of Siegfried overviews the possibilities of a key pharmaceutical technology

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries constantly seek innovative methods to enhance product stability, solubility, bioavailability and ease of use. Within this realm, CDMOs serve as invaluable partners in the development and production of high-quality drug products. Among the array of cutting-edge technologies that have transformed the CDMO industry, spray drying has emerged as a versatile and indispensable tool.

Before we dive into its myriad applications, let’s first understand the fundamentals of spray drying. This process entails the conversion of a liquid into fine droplets, followed by controlled drying of each single droplet to form a solid powder.

The key steps involved include atomisation, in which liquid is transformed into small droplets, which amplifies the surface area for efficient drying, and drying. The droplets enter a hot gas flow in the drying chamber where they lose solvents rapidly, finally resulting in the formation of a solid product. Because of evaporation energy, the product stays relatively cool in this process.

Key applications

Spray drying has many uses in the CDMO industry, including isolating thermal-instable products. It is a low-thermal-stress method that can be employed to isolate thermally unstable substances, such as some APIs or even biological substances. This method is especially advantageous for eliminating the need for costly freeze-drying processes, providing an easily dispensable product, and potentially removing problematic residual solvents.

For those seeking to improve the bioavailability of a product or increase solubility for downstream processes, spray drying offers a compelling solution. It enables the isolation of APIs in their amorphous form, which can significantly boost solubility and bioavailability. Whether the goal is to isolate the API in a pure amorphous state or create amorphous solid dispersions to stabilise the compound, spray drying can provide the necessary flexibility.

Another possibility is to use spray drying to form complexes with, for instance, cyclodextrins or impregnate mesoporous carriers like silica, ion exchange materials or functional calcium carbonate.

For products prone to decomposition, spray drying can be a game-changer. It allows for the combination of product with stabilisers at a nearly molecular level. This improves the overall stability of an API or formulation. It is possible to encapsulate the product to enhance its stability and access improved product properties.

Spray drying can also be used to make solid forms for storage and dispensing. Some products may not naturally exist in solid forms, which is often essential for storage and dispensing. This is particularly relevant for biologics, substances that are challenging to crystallise, oils carried on particulate carriers or molecular-level API mixtures.

Finally, spray drying can be used to tailor powder properties. The technique does not just convert liquids to solids; it also offers extensive control over particle design. By adjusting various spray drying parameters, one can influence the bulk or tap density, flowability, and compressibility of an API. This level of control ensures that the powder properties align with specific requirements.

Conclusion

In the CDMO industry, the versatile applications of spray drying have revolutionised the development and production of pharmaceuticals and biotechnological products. This technology offers solutions for thermal instability, bioavailability enhancement, product stability, solid-state formation and tailoring powder properties. As the industry continues to evolve, spray drying will remain a vital tool for CDMOs, unlocking new possibilities in drug development and manufacturing.

Contact

Michael Levis

Head of Process Technologies/Principal Scientist - Particle Technologies

Siegfried

[email protected]

www.siegfried.ch

UPL to split out specialities

Indian agrochemicals giant UPL has announced plans to transfer its speciality chemicals business, including agrochemical

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

AI for SAPs

Together with Algo Artis, Japan’s Nippon Shokubai has developed an algorithm-based means for the production

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Nippon Shokubai's API Facility in Japan

Nucleic acid API boost

Nippon Shokubai is to expand its GMP capacity for nucleic APIs tenfold It will install

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Flamma's facility in Dalian

Flamma opens in China

Italian CDMO Flamma Group has officially opened its new cGMP plant at Dalian, China, where

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

GL Chemtec has opened a new kilo lab

GL Chemtec completes kilo lab

CDMO GL Chemtec has announced the completion of a cGMP kilo lab at Oakville, Ontario

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Sterling's facility at Deeside, UK

CDMOs in ADC investments

Five CDMOs across the world have separately announced investments in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Piramal Pharma is

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Halozyme has dropped its approach to buy Evotec

Halozyme abandons Evotec bid

San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company Halozyme Therapeutics has withdrawn the offer it made for Evotec after

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Afyren Neoxy plant

Milestones for two greentech firms

Afyren has achieved continuous production at its Afyren Neoxy plant at Clermont-Ferrand (pictured)

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Origin by Ocean derives its materials from sargassum

CABB in algae biorefinery deal

CABB has agreed a strategic partnership to establish a first-in-kind algae biorefinery at its site at Kokkola

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

First waste-based biosurfactants

Belgian start-up AmphiStar has launched what it claims are the first fully upcycled biobased surfactants

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Aether to supply Seqens

Indian firm Aether Industries has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Chemoxy International, a UK-based

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

New model for biocatalysts

BASF, the Austrian Research Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) and the University of Graz in

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

CBE JU funds 31 more projects

The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), a €2 billion partnership between the EU

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Ribbon cutting ceremony at Lubrizol's new office

Lubrizol opens London office

Lubrizol has opened a new office in Hammersmith, London. This will be home to a

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Sudarshan to buy Heubach

India’s Sudarshan Chemical Industries (SCIL) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Heubach

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Alliance in natural fragrances

Sensegen, a US-based specialist in biotech-enabled fragrances, notably a new class of natural musk raw

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Croda breaks ground in China

Croda International has broken ground for a low-carbon, multi-purpose production facility on a greenfield site

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

CCT collaboration for Givaudan

Flavours and fragrances giant Givaudan has agreed a research collaboration for the development of sustainable

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

REACH Authorisation

Candidate List ‘reaches’ 250

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added three more substances to the Candidate List of

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

Staff at Brenntag's newly acquired Czech site

CO2-free distribution site first

Brenntag has officially inaugurated what it claims to be the first CO2-emission-free chemical distribution site

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington