TABWRAP system set for CPhI debut

The company has placed a £1.5 million (€2.2m) order with Innomech Automation Solutions​ to build the first full size commercial TABWRAP machine. Pilot versions of the machines are already being assessed by partners in the pharmaceutical industry, including Peter Black Healthcare.

BioProgress claims that the TABWRAP technology, which coats tablets using the firm's proprietary XGEL cellulose films, offers a number of major advantages over conventional approaches. For example, it answers the industry wish to replace animal derived materials like gelatine and can produce a two-colour tablet, something that is not possible using traditional tablet spray coating techniques, and is based on continuous rather than batch production.

TABWRAP can also improve product shelf life, according to the company, and by manipulating the film wrap formulation it is possible to release the active in the tablet into the body at a faster rate, which makes it particularly suitable for drugs that require a fast onset of action, such as painkillers.

"Most importantly these advantages are achieved at reduced production costs for the customer,"​ according to Graham Hind, BioProgress' CEO.

"The consumer wants a coated easy-to-swallow tablet but this currently means either a gelatine, sugar or cellulose spray coated tablet. All these solutions involve expensive batch-based technologies which we believe are unsustainable in the long term in an environment where governments are closely reviewing the cost of pharmaceutical drugs and asking searching questions about the efficiency of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process,"​ he added.

Gelatine film coating, which is a technology peculiar to the US market, requires the manufacturer to create a tablet core, pre-coat it, ship it to the gelatine coating facility and then transfer it back for further processing and packaging. Using TABWRAP, customers can coat their core presses on an in-house machine.

Meanwhile, BioProgress​ also claims that TABWRAP has advantages in time, cost and ease-of-use over the sugar-based tablet-coating technologies preferred in Europe, which requires processing of cores in a pan coater, as well as cumbersome drying, polishing and checking procedures.

BioProgress has an existing agreement with machinery company Harro Hoefliger on a number of projects, but the latter company was unable to commit to meeting the UK company's schedule of a commercial launch ahead of the CPhI, mainly because of projects with BioProgress and other customers.

Innomech, a specialist in building machines to pharmaceutical standards and meeting both European and US approval requirements, will build the first machine, but Harro Hoefliger will optimise the design and build batches of commercial TABWRAP machines, supplying, commissioning and providing the necessary after-sales service.

The first commercial TABWRAP machines will have a design output of 120,000 tablets per hour but the design incorporates the potential to double this output and even greater outputs are feasible, enabling the technology to be coupled to some of the world's fastest tablet presses.

The first TABWRAP machine will be fully commissioned, operational and ready to install into a contract pharmaceutical manufacturer during the first quarter of 2006, said BioProgress. This will enable product development and production to be carried out for customers who have ordered machines or contract manufacture for those who wish to adopt the technology but do not initially wish to order their own kit.