Extrusion-spheronisation is one means of production of small drug containing spheres. The spheres are typically overcoated with functional polymers for modified drug release, and the spheres are often filled into capsules to prevent damage that may occur on tableting.
Extrusion-spheronisation is a wet granulation process, in which the wet mass is passed through circular dies to make rods of extrudate. The extrudate is then processed on a rapidly rotating plate which breaks the rods and rounds them. The resulting wet spheres are dried and sieved to the required size range.
Key excipients for extrusion-spheronisation are microcrystalline cellulose and finely milled lactose.
Please click here to return to capsules.