The future of pharmaceuticals begins with excipients

What makes a drug innovative? A new active ingredient, an individualised dosage or a novel manufacturing method?  They are all part of the process. But one decisive factor often remains in the background – the pharmaceutical excipient.

The more complex active ingredients and the more individual therapies become, all the more significant are the properties of the materials used. To us at IOI Oleo, it is therefore clear that: Those who want to develop the pharmaceuticals of tomorrow, must also rethink the excipients − for several good reasons.

Conventional excipients cannot always meet these demands to the same extent. Therefore, why not tailor their properties precisely to the respective application?

This is exactly where IOI Oleo comes into play with its LipoGalen® Platform. Polyglycerin esters of which the molecular structure can be modified through the variation of glycerin units, fatty acid chains and degree of esterification form the basis of the product family. This allows IOI Oleo to influence different functional properties. At the same time, the materials are characterised by a stable crystal structure and offer additional functions such as emulsifying capacity and water uptake. This opens up new scope for the development of advanced dosage forms such as, for instance, semi-solid preparations or systems for the controlled release of active ingredients.

It becomes particularly interesting when innovative excipients meet new manufacturing technologies. Pharmaceutical 3D printing is an example that could make it possible in the future to tailor medication more to the needs of each patient – for example, through individual doses or specifically adjustable release profiles. This provides production flexibility also for smaller batches.

Materials suited to these new manufacturing methods are a key requirement. As compared to many polymers, lipid-based excipients can enable lower processing temperatures. This can be advantageous, particularly in the case of temperature-sensitive active ingredients. They also offer interesting starting points for controlled release of active ingredients.

Hence, IOI Oleo is examining the use of LipoGalen® in additive manufacturing. Initial feasibility analyses with corresponding structures are already available. Further research projects concentrate on powder bed and ink-jet processes.

IOI Oleo works in close cooperation with research partners, such as Fraunhofer, Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering (RCPE) in Graz and various universities to utilise innovative materials for new pharmaceutical applications.  Joint research is done to find out how the opportunities that lipid-based excipients offer can be utilised for future drug concepts.

Since drug development of tomorrow does not only require new active ingredients and technologies; it also requires materials that unite the two.