Micro-Sphere invests in German capsule filling tech
According to Allmersbach, Germany-headquartered Harro Höfliger, its Modu-C MS will enable the contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) to make 72,000 capsules per hour. The firm added that the technology has weight inspection functions to ensure correct dosing when filling capsules for dry powder inhalers.
“The mass-specific VisioAMV sensor allows for 100% inspection during the dosing of powders, tablets, capsules, pellets and other solid formulations,” explained Harro Höfliger.
The German firm also said the machine detects deformed capsules, inspects the presence of capsule bottoms and correct capsule closure, and eliminates bad capsules.
Capsule filling demand
According to Micro-Sphere founder Michele Müller, the decision to boost capacity responds to increased market demand.
“Low does capsule filling is becoming increasingly popular across the market and at present we are the only CDMO in Europe offering this level of capacity,” said founder Michele Müller.
Micro-growth
The investment is part of a greater expansion at Micro-Sphere’s Ticino facility.
In August, the firm announced a 21m CHF ($22m) investment in its site, to expand the 1,415m² to 2,905m². The firm expects the site to be operational by Q4 2017.
“This investment is an important next step in our expansion plans, allowing us to meet demand for greater capacity and speed up project delivery for our customers,” he said.
Micro-Sphere provides active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and highly potent API spray drying and capsule filling services, with a focus on inhalable dosage forms, for firms in Asia, New Zealand, Europe and the US.
