Catalent, a delivery supplier specializing in manufacturing solutions for drugs, dietary supplements, cell and gene therapies, and other consumer health products, announced the launch of OptiGel DR, a softgel capsule formulated for delayed/enteric release. The technology allows softgel capsules to be formed by combining pectin, a naturally derived polysaccharide, with gelatin, which eliminates the need for a separate capsule coating step in the manufacturing process.
 
Softgel capsules are widely used for pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements, and are often preferred among consumers and patients for the relative ease by which they’re swallowed. A delayed release profile offers many advantages, Catalent said, including protecting active ingredients that may be degraded by stomach acid, and releasing those active ingredients directly in the intestines where they are absorbed, potentially enhancing bioavailability. Delayed-release technologies may also help reduce gastric reflux effects, particularly with pungent ingredients such as fish or garlic oils, which can cause tolerability issues when released in the stomach. OptiGel DR softgel technology also eliminates processing and performance challenges associated with conventionally-coated delayed release softgels, the company said, and has the ability to encapsulate a wide range of ingredients.
 
“Catalent has a long history in softgel innovation, stretching back more than 85 years, and this latest evolution of the technology allows innovators to design the most efficient products, and bring superior pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products to the marketplace,” Dr. Aris Gennadios, president of Softgel and Oral Technologies for Catalent, said. “The technology we have developed allows the delayed release profile to be incorporated into the softgel capsule shell, broadening the applications, and making a separate capsule coating step unnecessary. This reduces time and yield loss and eliminates potential quality issues associated with coated softgels.”
 
Catalent’s site in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the first to offer the new OptiGel DR technology, however, the company reports that the production of the softgels will be expanded to manufacturing facilities in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan in the future.