Pellets

Pellets type A
Coating-pan technology

Osmopharm`s main kind of product is presented in pellet form: spherical granules of about 1 mm diameter.
These granules can either be dosed in hard gelatine capsules or be directly compressed to obtain sustained release tablets.
Capsules filling or tabletting can be performed by Osmopharm or by the customers. For tabletting, no other work is required for the customer than to regulate the machine (direct compression).
Special coating-pans are the mainly used machines for Osmopharm products. These machines are about 40, whose global capacity is about 12.000 liters.

Physical Production Principle

Granules are created by continuous rotation into the pan and risen by application of active principles and excipients over a starting inert granule. Generally, at the end of the process they are coated with a porous membrane that covers the core.
The release is regulated by the thickness and solubility of the membrane on parallel with the complexity of the core matrix.

Pellets type B
Extrusion-spheronisation technology

This technology, generally called "Marumeriser", allows to create pellets (with complex matrix as well).

Compared to coating-pan technology:
Advantages:
- Higher speed of production for high potency products.

Disadvantages:
- The physical appearance and shape of the pellets is sometimes less regular than those with coating-pan machine.
- Impossibility to create multi layered complex matrix.

Physical Production Principle

- Active principles and excipients are homogenized in a planetary mixer.
- The mass is passed through a special granulator with the production of a "spaghetti" shaped mass.
- Finally, a special centrifuge cut the filamentous mass, obtaining spherical granulates.
- The exterior membrane coating is obtaining by a coating-pan machine.