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Lubrizol Life Science Health has launched Apisolex, a novel solubility-enhancing excipient for use in parenteral drug products.
This technology overcomes solubility hurdles that cannot be resolved by existing excipients or manufacturing techniques.
At present, 60-90% of potential new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in development pipelines, and more than 40% of those in reformulation, are poorly water soluble. As solubility impacts bioavailability and efficacy, tackling the growing number of poorly soluble APIs is critical to secure the route to market for promising therapeutics.
With the ability to improve solubility by up to 50,000-fold and support high drug loading, Apisolex technology provides access to new and improved parenteral drug products. This is especially relevant in the oncology field, as direct injection of drugs into the bloodstream ensures higher bioavailability and lower patient variability, compared to oral delivery.
Understanding the need of the industry, Apisolex polymer is designed to work with the simplest formulation techniques to streamline manufacturing and minimize API loss with high encapsulation rate. Comprised of biocompatible, biodegradable building blocks, Apisolex is a non-toxic, non-immunogenic alternative to PEG or surfactants.
“Apisolex is the first solubility-enhancing excipient for parenteral use introduced in more than 20 years,” says Rob Lee, President of the CDMO Division of LLS Health. “With its toxicity profile and simple processing techniques, Apisolex polymer can both improve existing drugs and enable some important new molecules.”
Apisolex excipient’s robust patent protection enables both the formulation of new chemical entities and the reformulation of existing APIs to enhance their therapeutic effect and deliver improved patient outcomes via the FDA’s 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway.
LLS Health already has a portfolio of differentiated excipients to help drug developers transform drug products which include the original Carbopol®, Pemulen™ TR-2 NF, and Noveon® AA-1 excipients. Solubility enhancing Apinovex™ polymer, used to maximize API concentration and stability in oral amorphous solid dispersion drug formulations, was introduced last year.
© 2022 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.