PB Leiner introduces gelwoRx, a new product family which it has created to effectively address the needs of the health care sector. The launch is being jump started by the release of two soft capsule specialty products: gelwoRx Dsolve enhances the bioavailability of the capsule API by counteracting the natural cross-linking behaviour of a capsule shell, while gelwoRx Dhydra expedites soft capsule production time. These two products are the first in what will be a whole series of innovative solutions for the sector.
The new gelwoRx product family has been created to maximise the health care potential of gelatin, which is in itself a consumable form of collagen, the body’s own primary protein in connective tissue, skin, and bones. Gelatin is among the most widely used ingredients of the health care sector, and with good reason: gelatin is almost universally tolerated, it displays very useful elasticity and clarity features, it melts at body temperature, and it is thermo-reversible. The versatility of gelatin makes for a wide range of product applications; from capsules and wound care, to bone plugs and hemostatic sponges, which gradually dissolve in the body after surgery.
To underline its commitment to innovation in the health care sector, PB Leiner is bringing all its pharmaceutical product developments together under the umbrella of gelwoRx. The company actively teams up with customers to co-create new products that solve current market challenges.
Says Wim Poot, Executive Vice President of PB Leiner: “We want to offer functional solutions that fully respond to the highest standards of this rightfully demanding sector. That is why the motto of the gelwoRx line is ‘functional bio-compatibility’: the body tolerance for gelatin, combined with its versatility – be it in liquid, powder, or solid form – still holds tremendous potential for the health care sector. We intend to mine this potential to the fullest.”
The first two products of the gelwoRx range have been developed with a focus on the challenges of the soft capsule industry:
gelwoRx Dsolve enhances the bioavailability of a capsule by counteracting cross-linking – a natural behaviour by which gelatin molecules link together and dissolve more slowly due to circumstances such as humidity or storage temperature, or the chemical properties of a capsule’s filling. Up to 40% less cross-linking has been measured compared to the gold standard gelatin for soft capsules. gelwoRx Dsolve maintains this dissolution capacity over time. The capsule product also shows no signs of stickiness.
gelwoRx Dhydra on the other hand has been developed to accelerate the production time of soft capsules, by improving gel mass stability and optimising the drying performance. Moreover, the product demonstrates excellent stability when used with hygroscopic fillings and thus extends the shelf life of a capsule.
These two first launches of the gelwoRx product line were not chosen randomly, explains Wim Poot: “They perfectly epitomise our determination to bring workable solutions to the health care sector: by enhancing the solubility and shelf life of the dosage form, we are helping a pharmaceutical ingredient to reach its goal, and that is what really counts for the patient.” For more visit pbleiner.com/en/
