According to the company, the new grades do not require blending and offer predictable and reproducible drug release profiles even under conditions such as in a full stomach, where hydrodynamic stresses are greater and fat, bile, salt content and ionic strength vary significantly.
Ashland Specialty Ingredients Pharmaceutical R&D group leader Divya Tewari said molecular weight plays a major role in determining drug release so formulators select specific molecular weight grades based on drug solubility and desired release profile.
"Our customers previously often needed to blend two or more molecular weight grades to achieve the desired target release profile for controlled-release tablets as actives and drugs have become more complex," Tewari added.