Blending

Pharmaceutical products generally contain a number of raw materials or excipients along with the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). This ensures that the final dosage form is stable and will work effectively in the body according to its mechanism of action and in its correct target site.

Since drug products contain a number of components, blending or mixing them is also a critical unit operation in the manufacturing process. Blending helps ensure that the API and excipients are evenly distributed in the formulation with an even appearance. Moreover, this method helps ensure that the final drug dosage form is released/metabolized at the correct site, at the desired rate.

The unit operation of blending is therefore involved in the production of practically every pharmaceutical preparation -- even if only on some stages of manufacture.

Below is a list of drug dosage forms in need of the blending process:

Tablets
Capsules
Sachets
Dry powder inhalers (mixtures of solid particles)
Linctus (mixture of miscible liquids)
Emulsions and creams (mixture of immiscible liquids)
Pastes and suspensions (dispersions of solid particles)

Esco Pharma’s experienced team of designers and engineers can help in designing a completely integrated manufacturing equipment: from the granulation, drying, milling, blending, and even compression processes of pharmaceutical manufacturing. All of this to ensure the protection of operators, product, and the environment from possible cross-contamination or unwanted occupational exposure.

References:

Anonymous. (2020). Retrieved 14 September 2020, from https://www.pharmamanufacturing.com/articles/2008/096/
Aulton, M. (2010). Aulton’s Pharmaceutics: The design and manufacture of medicines (3rd ed.). Elsevier.
Blending. (2020). Retrieved 15 August 2020, from https://www.slideshare.net/NiketPatel9/blending-62037280
Differences between Biologics and Small Molecules. (2020). Retrieved 30 July 2020, from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/therapeutic-innovation-networks/differences-between-biologics-and-small-molecules

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