The Supplement Factory continues to strengthen its core capabilities and is now able to offer its customers our services as Sustained Release Pellet Manufacturers under the name SpheratrixTM.
The food supplement industry is the fastest emerging market to use this technology and it is either being implemented for enhancing existing products or bringing new premium innovation to market.
What are they and how do they work?
A pellet is defined as a spherical, free-flowing granule with a narrow size distribution, typically varying between 500 and 2000 µm. Its multi-particulate ingredient matrix offers some important technological advantages over conventional solid dosage forms.
Modified-release dosage forms have been developed to deliver drugs to the part of the body where it will be absorbed, to simplify dosing schedules, and to assure that concentration of the drug is maintained over an appropriate time interval. A modified release coating is what is applied to the external surface of a pellet in order to change its release profile.
There are three main coating profiles available, these are:
- Sustained release – A sustained release coating is designed to release an active ingredient at a predetermined rate in order to maintain a constant dosage concentration for a specific period of time
- Controlled release – A controlled release coating delays the release of an active ingredient upon oral administration in order for it to release at a fixed location
- Extended release – A extended release coating consists of both sustained release and controlled release coatings. This is used to control the release location of the active ingredient and also the predetermined rate of release
Traditional dosage forms require multiple daily dosing to achieve the desired blood concentration to produce therapeutic activity. The development of modified release coatings has meant both a decrease in the number of required daily doses and a significant reduction in side effects. This is enhancing the experience for the consumer and also reduces the risk of insufficient treatments.
Unlike immediate-release forms, which act quickly, modified-release forms are intended to act over a longer time or delay action until they have reached a specific area – the stomach, small intestine, or colon, for example.
How a pellet is layered up
Why choose a pellet?
- Modified release pellets can replace products that require multiple doses throughout the day
- Pellets offer dispersal of active ingredient over a wide area, meaning a higher and faster absorption rate
- Coated pellets can not only control the location of release but the speed and time in which it is released over
- Coated pellets can offer a strong visual aesthetic with the ability to mask the taste of the raw ingredients, increasing innovation recognition
- A pellet can be coated with varying colours to show a breakdown in performance upon colour change
Which products would benefit from the addition of modified release pellet technology?
- Capsules
- Tablets
- Pre-workout
- Protein shakes
- Soft drinks
- Sachets