Carclo Receive First Production Order for PVOH Soluble Capsules

Tag : Medical Gelatine
Carclo Technical Plastics is delighted to have received a first production order for PVOHsoluble capsules from Agrimin Ltd. for supply into the veterinarymarket. Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVOH) is a totally water-solublematerial which breaks down into carbon dioxide and water afterdissolution.
Carclo has perfected the tooling and processing conditions toenable this material to be injection moulded. The PVOH capsuleswill replace gelatine capsules for drug delivery. PVOH capsuleshave four distinct advantages over gelatine capsules; they are notderived from animals, they are engineered to be highly repeatableproducts such that every capsule is identical, they are naturallynon-static permitting easy filling and they do not deteriorate inhot and humid climates.
Carclo has been working with Agrimin for almost three years toundergo the necessary testing and to complete the dossier necessaryfor the regulatory approval. The testing has been significant andhas led to many improvements in both materials and product toensure optimum performance. “I am delighted that we havefinally reached the stage of launching this innovativeproduct”, commented Mike Johnson, Carclo’s Director,New Business Development.
“Agrimin has been an ideal partner as they not only have beenfeeding back market intelligence but also have provided theexpertise to complete the necessary regulatorydocumentation.” Jamie Bennison, Technical Director of AgriminLtd, stated that he was very optimistic after seeing significantinterest from France, New Zealand and USA. “This is a uniqueproduct which is an ideal substitute for a gelatine capsules,offering significant benefits. We are very pleased to be the firstto offer this and I am really excited about the potential.”
Carclo Technical Plastics continues to invest in new technology andproprietary know-how. This has been a lengthy project for Carclobut demonstrates the willingness the company has to fund winningideas, and the confidence in the selected technologies. PatrickWard, Managing Director of the UK Medical facility clarified thestrategic direction.
“We have been looking at numerous applications for thiswater-soluble material, and have made good progress using PVOH formedical devices and components. Production of capsules for drugdelivery is a potentially high volume application of thetechnology, but one that needed significant additional support tosatisfy the regulatory requirements. Agrimin is an ideal partnerwith their unique veterinary expertise.
In addition to supporting the regulatory requirements, they haveinvested heavily in creating the ability to provide a fulfilmentservice – to fill and package capsules. Once the capsules arein the field, we are confident there will be further interest fromother markets.”
Posted June 18th, 2008