The soft capsule is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry drug dosage form, that is, a certain amount of liquid drugs directly encapsulated, or solid drugs dissolved or dispersed in a suitable excipient prepared into a solution, suspension, emulsion, or semi-solid, sealed in a soft capsule made of capsule material. This dosage form is mostly applied to small dosages, water-insoluble, light-sensitive, unstable to moisture and heat, and easily oxidized and volatile drugs.
As a specialized pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing company, Protheragen-ING is committed to providing its customers with high-quality, innovative soft gel solutions. Whether you want to develop a new product or improve an existing formulation, our team has the experience and expertise to meet your needs.
Benefits of Soft Capsules
- Easy to swallow.
- Provides precise dose control.
- Prolonged drug stability and effectiveness.
- Masking of drug taste and odor.
Formulation of Soft Capsules
Our soft capsule development services cover a wide range of drug formulations. We will select the appropriate drug carrier, solvent, and excipients based on your drug properties and objectives to ensure the stability and bioavailability of the drug in the soft capsule.
A soft capsule consists of two main prescriptions: the capsule shell and the content.
Shell Prescription
The shell of the soft capsule is usually made of gelatin or vegetable cellulose. Commonly used excipients for the capsule shell include gelatin, plasticizers, water, coloring agents, opacifiers, aromatics, preservatives, etc.
- Colorless and transparent: gelatin + water + plasticizer (the ratio is generally 1:1:0.4~0.6).
- Colored transparent: gelatin + water + plasticizer + a small amount of coloring agent.
- Colored shading: gelatin + water + plasticizer + shading agent + a small amount of coloring agent.
Content Prescription
Most of the contents of soft gelatin capsules are liquid substances, such as oily drugs, drug solutions, suspensions, or emulsions.
- Pure oil solution: matrix oil + API + antioxidant + other.
- Oily suspension: matrix oil + API + antioxidant + suspending agent + other.
- Aqueous suspension: aqueous matrix + API + antioxidant + suspending agent + others.
| Content Prescription |
Examples |
| Base oils |
Vegetable oils, mono-diglycerides of caprylic acid, etc. |
| Aqueous base |
Polyethylene glycol |
| Antioxidants |
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), etc. |
| Suspension aid |
Beeswax, hydrogenated vegetable oil, etc. |
| Hydrophilic surfactants (HLB value >10) |
Polyoxyethylene castor oil, polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil, etc. |
| Lipophilic surfactants (HLB value less than 10) |
Polyoxyethylene lauric acid, polyoxyethylene stearic acid, etc. |
Types of Soft Capsules
Our soft capsule development services cover a wide range of applications. We can develop soft capsules for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetic formulations, and more. Whether you need oil-based, water-based, or combination soft capsules, we have the expertise to create the perfect solution for your product.
We also can develop functional soft capsules, including but not limited to the following:
- Regular soft capsules: for general drug delivery, suitable for most pharmaceutical ingredients.
- Delayed release soft capsules: allows for a controlled rate and duration of drug release, providing long-lasting therapeutic effects.
- Dual chamber soft capsules: for situations where two incompatible drugs need to be stored separately.
- Difficult-to-dissolve drug soft capsules: for difficult-to-dissolve drug ingredients, to improve the bioavailability of drugs.
Soft capsule Manufacturing Process
Our soft capsule development services cover the entire process from formulation development to final production. We strictly follow international quality standards and specifications to ensure product safety, stability, and efficacy. Our manufacturing process includes:
(1) Drug formulation development and optimization.
(2) Raw material procurement and quality control.
(3) Soft capsule shell manufacturing.
(4) Soft capsule filling and sealing.
(5) Quality evaluation of soft capsules
(6) Soft capsule packaging and labeling.
If you are interested in our soft capsule development services or have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to providing you with quality services and realizing your drug development goals.
