Alpex Pharma - Oral Drug Delivery Systems

Alpex Pharma is a Swiss drug-delivery company that develops improved pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceutical products using proprietary technologies and extensive know-how.

Alpex has five main oral delivery technologies:

• Fast dissolving with taste masking characteristics (ODT
• Buccal release / adsorption technology
• Effervescent technology
• Sustained release technology
• Nutraceutical technology

Orally disintegrating tablets – ODT

Alpex is specialized in finding solutions to complex drug-delivery systems. Our technology can also help find solutions to life cycle management, extending the life of pharmaceutical products.

Alpex’s ODT is a patented technology that allows the administration of drug quantities per dose from a few micrograms to about 300mg and over per dose.

Our technology permits an immediate release of the drug with significant advantages for a rapid mitigation of pathologies. Our taste masking technology allows improvement of the taste for patients.

Disintegration of tablets occurs in seconds, creating a fresh viscous liquid that can be easily ingested even by people with a limited swallowing capacity (young or old persons) or compromised ingestion (through Parkinson's, sclerosis, etc.).

The technology is not limited by the physical status of drugs, like water solubility, particle size, lipofilicity etc. or by the molecular weight of drugs (synthetic drugs, peptides, proteins, etc.). Bioequivalence or super-bioequivalence versus commercial products in the form of granular tablets or capsules is supported by several developed projects.

Oral transmucosal or oral delivery drugs

Alpex’s buccal proprietary technology can be applied to drugs that can cross the buccal mucosa in order to reach a rapid adsorption in the blood stream, skipping the stomach.

This technology is particularly useful for administration of potent pain killers, which are required to be rapidly adsorbed for pain relief, or for drugs like peptides that could be damaged in the gastric medium.

Effervescent technology - dissolving solid dosage form

Effervescent technology is based on a very strong know-how, and allows the administration of drugs in a self-dissolving solid dosage form (tablets and granular) when in contact with water. Tablets dissolve in water rapidly, creating a fizzy, fresh solution.

Sodium bicarbonate (source of CO2) creates a bubbling effect in water, improving patient compliance. It also protects the gastric mucosa due to the buffer capacity.

In addition, the drug bioavailability could be improved due to the increase of the stomach’s pH medium.

This technology is particularly useful for the administration of drugs that require water to be administered, like NSAIDs, Mucolitics, pain killers, etc. Taste masking capability is able to improve the taste of products without compromising bioequivalence in comparison to conventional tablets and other dosage forms. Alpex is also active in contract manufacturing for products that require a high level of quality and an excellent record of GMP.

Customized sustained release oral technology

An oral customized release technology system is able to cover a variety of drugs. A specified Pharmacokinetic profile can be achieved in order to enhance the therapeutic quality of the product. Alpex exploits monolithic tablets' controlled release technology, tailoring drug release during a defined time.