Excipients

What is an excipient?

Excipients are inactive substances formulated alongside active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in medications. They serve various purposes in pharmaceutical formulations, enhancing stability, bioavailability, and palatability of drugs.

Compatibility with APIs

These substances are carefully selected based on their compatibility with APIs and their intended role in the final dosage form. Common excipients include binders, fillers, disintegrants, lubricants, preservatives, and flavoring agents. Binders such as cellulose derivatives help tablets maintain their shape, while fillers like lactose or mannitol add bulk to ensure uniformity in dosage. Disintegrants such as croscarmellose sodium facilitate the breakdown of tablets or capsules in the digestive tract, enhancing drug dissolution and absorption.

Excipients’ critical roles

Excipients also play critical roles in controlled-release formulations. Coatings like ethyl cellulose enable sustained drug release, ensuring medication efficacy over extended periods. Lubricants such as magnesium stearate prevent ingredients from sticking to processing equipment during manufacturing, ensuring uniformity and efficiency in production.

Moreover, excipients contribute to patient compliance and comfort by masking unpleasant tastes or odors and enhancing overall palatability. They also aid in ensuring the safety and stability of medications, protecting APIs from degradation due to environmental factors or interaction with other ingredients.

What format do excipients have?

Excipients typically appear in solid forms like powders or granules and occasionally in liquids. To preserve their valuable properties—such as stability, flowability, and consistency—quality plastic bulk packaging is essential. Excipients are sensitive to moisture, contamination, and chemical interaction, which can compromise their functionality.

Why plastic bulk packaging for excipients

CurTec’s plastic bulk packaging provides a barrier against moisture and prevents contamination, ensuring excipients remain free from degradation. Tamper evident seals and food safe materials further enhance the protection, ensuring excipients maintain their integrity throughout storage and transport, ultimately supporting the effectiveness and safety of pharmaceutical products.

Features and benefits

In summary:

• Closures with rubber gaskets offer moisture vapor protection
• Food safe plastics offer safety and stability
• Robust design offer security in transit and storage
• Tamper evident seals offer protection and clarity
• Screw and press-on lids offer ease of use and reduction of handling time

Certified and reliable pharma packaging

CurTec pays a lot of attention to and gives constant care to quality control and quality management. Plastic bulk packaging is highly certified and meets current industry standards set by the FDA, USP and Ph. Eur., which creates confidence among existing and new users. In addition, CurTec is a GMP certified packaging company, which simplifies and accelerates the integration of CurTec packaging into existing processes.

Are you a manufacturer of excipients are you challenged with finding proper (bulk) packaging?  Allow us to help you.

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