Tablets & Capsules

TC0120

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b a c k p a g e A 3-step guide to sourcing empty capsules There was a time, decades ago, when I could 've recited the loca- tion of nearly every empty-capsule manufacturing plant in the world. These days, I discover new suppli- ers of empty capsules at a surpris- ing rate. This growth in the num- ber of capsule suppliers must make it challenging for new R&D scien- tists, purchasing agents, production leaders, and quality professionals to make objective decisions about where to source empty capsules. The following is a 3-step guide that new decision makers can use a s a f r a mework when so u r cing empty capsules for pharmaceutical and dietary supplement products. Step 1: Use business sustainability logic S eparate the wheat f rom the chaff by using business sustainabil- it y logic. Capsule suppliers who own their own technolog y and produce their own manufacturing equipment are the only ones worth considering. These suppliers have invested in themselves and plan to be in business for a very long time. Not only have they invested in the technology to make capsules, they have also invested in the technol- og y to make the equipment that makes the capsules. Many empt y-capsule suppliers purchase ready-made capsule pro- duction equipment, flick a switch, and start making sales calls. Disre- garding these "ready-made" compa- nies cuts your list of potential sup- pliers down to a manageable number that you can count on one hand. These are the leading global capsule suppliers, with proven track records and established business models. Step 2: Eliminate non-issues Don't worry about "non-issues" that cloud the water and ma ke selecting a capsule supplier more confusing. Non-issues include: Availability and logistics. All of the leading global capsule suppliers have enough capacit y to supply any single capsule user, including you. All have decades of experi- e n c e in g lo b a l c ap s u le s u ppl y chains. They are already supply- ing companies around the world and may be supplying the company across the street from you. Aesthetics and custom brand- ing. All of the leading global capsule suppliers have ample technology to produce or reproduce any standard commercially available capsule. Composition equivalency and chemical performance. All of the leading global capsule supplier s manufacture their capsules using the identical g rades of star ting materials in the same percentages and purchase the materials f rom the same vendors. This has been vetted through various regulatory bodies over many decades. Regulatory and quality compli- ance. All of the leading global cap- sule suppliers will pass your qual- it y, technical, and /or reg ulator y audit of their manufacturing sites and be able to provide any and all regulatory and quality compliance documentation required. R&D and technic al support. All of the leading global capsule suppliers will support your R&D and technical requirements and/or issues. They have all made signifi- cant investments in the technology to do so and are all experts in the capsule field. Step 3: Focus on the real value drivers Only t wo iss ues r eally d r ive value when selecting empty cap- sules: purchase price and f illing machine performance. Prices for empty hard capsules var y widely as does their performance on cap- sule-filling machines. Usually you get what you pay for, but some- times you don't. Ask potential capsule suppliers to provide you with capsules to r un on your equipment. It's best to do this prior to asking for a for- mal quotation. When testing the capsules, be objective. First and foremost, the capsules must per- form to your expectations in your manufacturing process. You don't want to purchase capsules that run poorly or are problematic in your process, no matter how good the price is. Finally, it's common for compa- nies to be unaware that the cap- sules they are currently using are actually performing poorly. Inter- nal benchmarking and comparative studies are critical for determin- ing capsule performance and will help you select the best capsules for your process. T&C Christopher Kote- vich is director of sales and marketing at Suheung Amer- ica, Brea, CA, man- u f a c t u r e r o f t h e Embocaps portfolio of hard capsules (714 854 9887, chris@embocaps.com, www.embocaps.com).

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