Lonza officials say they have expanded the company’s service offering for orally delivered biologic therapies to support the unique development and manufacturing needs of smart capsule companies.
Oral delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is the preferred route of administration by patients worldwide, leading to improved patient compliance and adherence, and drug accessibility. In addition, delivering biologics through an oral administration route represents a growing market that is expected to exhibit a 35% CAGR from 2023–2028. Since most new drug entities face bioavailability challenges, exploring innovative delivery solutions to mitigate these challenges is of great value to drug developers and their patients, noted a Lonza spokesperson.
Smart capsules, designed to enhance precision, efficacy, and control by using electronic or mechanical elements to deliver drugs to the stomach or intestine, have the potential to revolutionize the oral biologics market, explained Bart Pelgrims, vp, R&D, capsules & health ingredients, Lonza, adding that they have promising applications in areas such as diabetes, obesity, and other therapeutic fields.
To meet the needs of this innovative field, Lonza has expanded its offering for orally delivered biologics with a bespoke development and manufacturing service focusing on the specific needs of smart capsules companies, and the offering leverages Lonza’s expertise in highly customized capsule solutions tailored to specific requirements, including size, design, and lock mechanisms, continued Pilgrims, while offering a variety of functionalities, such as targeted release using a bi-layer manufacturing technology, adjustable to the needs of the respective API.
“By ensuring every detail of development, which goes beyond formulation, we are confident in our ability to support smart capsule innovators to help shape the future of healthcare,” he said.
The expanded service offering for orally delivered biologic therapies is being offered at Lonza’s recently launched Innovaform™ Accelerator in Colmar, France.
