Pharmaceutical excipients are substances – other than the active pharmaceutical ingredient – that are used in the finished dosage form or may be used as processing aids in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Eastman manufactures a variety of functional excipients that are used to improve the efficacy of the active agent. Eastman™ excipients can be divided into three primary categories: enteric coating polymers and cellulose esters for controlled release drug delivery, and solvents.
Enteric Coating Polymer
Eastman's enteric polymers withstand prolonged contact with gastric fluids but dissolve readily in the mildly acidic to neutral-pH environment of the small intestine. Eastman manufactures the following enteric polymer:
Controlled Release Drug Delivery
Eastman's categories of controlled-release membrane or matrix polymers are cellulose acetates (CAs) and cellulose acetate butyrates (CABs). Eastman is the exclusive manufacturer of these products for pharmaceutical applications, used in controlled-release applications involving membrane release or matrix release.
- Applicable as a water permeable membrane in osmotic systems
- A component in direct compression matrix for sustained release
- Barrier component in taste masking
Recommended Eastman™ Cellulose Esters:
Solvents
Eastman produces the following bulk pharmaceutical excipients (BPEs) which may be used as solvents in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients. These BPEs are colorless, fragrant, low-boiling solvents that meet National Formulary (NF) monograph specifications.
