Pharmaceutical Spray Drying

The most versatile formulation technology in the pharmaceutical industry

Pharmaceutical Spray drying is a simple yet incredibly flexible technology that can transform liquids into powders in seconds. Manipulation of either the feed solution composition and/or the spray drying process parameters allows the creation of spray-dried powders with a range of both physical and aerodynamic properties.

Whilst formulation and process development for pharmaceutical spray drying can be readily undertaken at a small, even milligram scale if the drug is in short supply, the process is highly reproducible and scalable, with established models allowing straightforward scale up to produce kilograms of material for toxicology and clinical studies.

There are several key features of the spray drying process that can be manipulated to enhance the formulation and delivery of small molecules and biologics. In many cases, several of these features can be combined and as a result the target product performance profile can subsequently be achieved. These can be summarised as follows:

Pharmaceutical Spray Drying at Upperton

Upperton is world-renowned for its’ spray drying expertise. We have a range of spray dryers available, from development dryers that can work with the smallest quantities (milligrams) of drug, to pilot-scale dryers that can produce kilogram quantities of powder in a single day of operation. These are available in our research and development facility, and in our GMP facility, meaning that processes can be easily and seamlessly developed, scaled up and then transferred for clinical manufacture.