Wiesław Sawiski, Przemysław Skoczeń

Aspekty technologiczne otrzymywania peletek metodą ekstruzji i sferonizacji w warunkach laboratoryjnych i przemysłowych
2008-04-06

Technological aspects of producing pellets by extrusion-spheronisation technology in laboratory and production conditions. Research aiming at finding new drug forms and perfecting the existing ones constitute the most important task of pharmaceutical technology. Introducing multi - chamber drug forms, mainly in pellet form was a great progress. Tens of drug forms of this type, mostly in the gelatin capsules form, are registered in Poland. Pellets are a kind of spherical granules for oral application, measuring from 0.2 to 2 mm. They consist of a core and a polymer film up to approximately 200 -m thick. Pellets, as a drug form, are enclosed in a gelatin capsule or can be compressed into tablets. Pellets as multi-chamber drug dosage systems exceed traditional uni-chamber formulations. They ensure, first of all, more efficient drug release and absorption control, deciding about safe pharmacotherapy. On the other hand, direct preparing pellet cores with drugs, coating them with controlled release film and eventually pellet compressibility it's the essence of progress in pharmaceutical technology. Extrusion and spheronization is the most frequently used method of obtaining pellets. It consists of five fractional operations: mixing and moistening powders, forming granules in extruder, spheronization and drying.