Twin screw extruder manufacturer
Because the process works with insoluble APIs, it sometimes enables drug loading of 80–90%. In addition, operators can modify a drug’s release rate by blending the appropriate polymers with it in the twin screw extruder.
HME technology has become easier for the industry to adopt, thanks to the technical developments of recent years. For starters, single screw extruder vendors have begun to produce units designed according to the principles of good manufacturing practice. These companies have adapted their production processes and the documentation that is the basis for qualifying the extruders, says Hoffman.
Some new extruders enable pharmaceutical manufacturers to add potent substances into the carrier matrix. These substances can be APIs that are mutagenic, carcinogenic, and dangerous to produce, Hoffman says.
Other vendors have developed corotating twin extruders with self-wiping screw profiles. The screw flights on these machines wipe the adjacent screw roots, thus allowing the extruders to be emptied fully. These extruders have enabled manufacturers to produce pharmaceutical products efficiently with short residence times, minimized thermal degradation, and enabled high content uniformity. Asgarzadeh has used these machines to develop soluble formulations of poorly soluble drug substances and to develop controlled-release drug-delivery systems.