Jun 19 2008
Carclo Technical Plastics is delighted to have received a first production order for PVOH soluble capsules from Agrimin Ltd. for supply into the veterinary market. Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVOH) is a totally water-soluble material which breaks down into carbon dioxide and water after dissolution.
Carclo has perfected the tooling and processing conditions to enable this material to be injection moulded. The PVOH capsules will replace gelatine capsules for drug delivery. PVOH capsules have four distinct advantages over gelatine capsules; they are not derived from animals, they are engineered to be highly repeatable products such that every capsule is identical, they are naturally non-static permitting easy filling and they do not deteriorate in hot and humid climates.
Carclo has been working with Agrimin for almost three years to undergo the necessary testing and to complete the dossier necessary for the regulatory approval. The testing has been significant and has led to many improvements in both materials and product to ensure optimum performance. “I am delighted that we have finally reached the stage of launching this innovative product”, commented Mike Johnson, Carclo’s Director, New Business Development.
“Agrimin has been an ideal partner as they not only have been feeding back market intelligence but also have provided the expertise to complete the necessary regulatory documentation.” Jamie Bennison, Technical Director of Agrimin Ltd, stated that he was very optimistic after seeing significant interest from France, New Zealand and USA. “This is a unique product which is an ideal substitute for a gelatine capsules, offering significant benefits. We are very pleased to be the first to offer this and I am really excited about the potential.”
Carclo Technical Plastics continues to invest in new technology and proprietary know-how. This has been a lengthy project for Carclo but demonstrates the willingness the company has to fund winning ideas, and the confidence in the selected technologies. Patrick Ward, Managing Director of the UK Medical facility clarified the strategic direction.
“We have been looking at numerous applications for this water-soluble material, and have made good progress using PVOH for medical devices and components. Production of capsules for drug delivery is a potentially high volume application of the technology, but one that needed significant additional support to satisfy the regulatory requirements. Agrimin is an ideal partner with their unique veterinary expertise.
In addition to supporting the regulatory requirements, they have invested heavily in creating the ability to provide a fulfilment service – to fill and package capsules. Once the capsules are in the field, we are confident there will be further interest from other markets.”