OREANDA-NEWS. Formulation scientists in pharmaceutical companies can benefit from a robust hybrid, twin-screw extruder that quickly switches between hot melt extrusion (HME) and continuous twin-screw granulation (TSG) operation, providing a comprehensive formulation development platform for drug delivery and continuous processing projects.

The Thermo Scientific Pharma 16 Twin-Screw Extruder is designed for flexibility and a reduction in cycle time. Traditionally, switching out an extruder system from hot melt processing to granulation required considerable downtime and extensive reconfiguration with manufacturer support. However, the Pharma 16 Twin-Screw Extruder can be adapted with ease, significantly reducing associated costs compared to other twin-screw extruders. Twin-screw extruders play a major role as pharmaceutical companies move from batch to continuous processing methods to improve operational efficiency and product quality.

“The Pharma 16 Twin-Screw Extruder is very compact and designed specifically for the pharmaceutical industry where both lab and production space is at a premium,” said Dirk Leister, technical marketing manager, process and pharma extruders for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The geometrically similar design of our extruder portfolio means scale-up is optimized with much less effort and time, helping to shorten the total time to market of promising new drugs over traditional batch processing.”

To enable configuration flexibility in formulation development labs, the Pharma 16 Twin-Screw Extruder offers:

  • Plug-and-play functionality with upstream and downstream process equipment (e.g., feeders, chill rolls, pelletizers, dryers, etc.);
  • Quick disassembling of parts for easy cleaning and process switching from HME to TSG;
  • Touch-screen control of process parameters, which are scalable to larger extruders in the product line; and
  • Industry-standard Siemens™ control and operation software for seamless integration into full-line units.

Formulation processes developed on the Pharma 16 can also be easily scaled-up to larger extruders in the Thermo Scientific product family. The complete portfolio of Thermo Scientific pharmaceutical twin-screw extruders is designed to allow users to meet GMP compliance requirements with validation support (e.g., FAT, SAT, IQ/OQ). A range of support services is available, including full installation and operational support, comprehensive consulting with customers, CRO/CMO partners as well as upstream and downstream equipment manufacturers.