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6 July/August 2021 Tablets & Capsules research MIT chemical engineers simplify formulation of hydrophobic APIs CAMBRIDGE, MA—MIT chem- ical engineers have created a drug- formulation method to incorporate hydrophobic APIs into tablet for- mulations that can increase the drug load per tablet and could lead to smaller, easier to swallow doses. Traditional methods for formulating hydrophobic APIs require milling, an abrasive process that can change API properties, to create nanocrys- tals that are easy for human cells to absorb. Using a novel method, researchers were able to create a nanoemulsion of the API and meth- ylcellulose (MC) that they then crystallized, creating solid particles without any drug loss. The result- ing nanocrystal-loaded particles can then be crushed into powder and compressed into tablets. The article was published in Advanced Materials and can be accessed at https://doi. org/10.1002/adma.202008618. UEA researchers investigate 3D printing method for manufacturing personalized medicines NORWICH, UK—Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) identified an additive manufactur- ing method that uses 3D printing of highly porous structures to regulate the rate of drug release, which could become the basis for personalized medicine manufacturing. Most 3D printing methods require that the drug formulation be processed into spaghetti-like filaments before the printing process. University research- ers investigated a new method that can rapidly produce porous pharma- ceutical tablets without filaments, which allowed the team to change the size of the pores and thus regu- late drug release. Further research is needed to tailor the dose and dosing frequency of the medication to each patient's needs, but the method has the potential to allow formulators to build multiple drug formulations into a single daily poly-pill. The arti- cle was published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics and can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ijpharm.2021.120626. markets CPA report estimates current contract packaging and contract manufacturing market value at $75.6 billion HERNDON, VA—The Associa- tion for Contract Packagers and Man- ufacturers (CPA) published an updated State of the Industry Report, which projects that the contract packag- ing and contract manufacturing (CP/ CM) industry is currently worth $75.6 billion and is projected to continue growing at twice the pace of the sec- tors it serves. Trends driving industry growth include brands' ongoing drive for value and efficiency, capacity con- straints, short- and long-term COVID- 19 impacts, the effect of Amazon and Walmart, private equity investment and legacy ownership, industry con- solidation, and offshore competition. The report has been published tri- annually since 2008 and combines research with interviews and surveys of more than 120 industry leaders. The report can be accessed at contract packagingreport.com. Tablet coating market to grow by 5.6 percent through 2025 NORTHBROOK, IL—The global tablet coating market is forecast to reach $969 million by 2025, represent- ing a compound annual growth rate of 5.6 percent, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets. Growth in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries and generics market as well as increasing R&D activities will drive growth of the tablet coating market during the forecast period. The report identifies Colorcon, Sensient Tech- nologies, BASF, Evonik, Ashland, DuPont, Kerry, Roquette, Eastman Chemical, Air Liquide, and Merck as key market players. Softgel capsule market to reach $9.59 billion by 2027 PUNE, India—The global softgel capsule market is predicted to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.5 per- cent, reaching $9.59 billion by 2027, according to a report by Fortune Busi- ness Insights. Factors driving market growth include the rising prevalence of chronic ailments such as cardiovas- cular diseases and the growing num- ber of clinical trials supporting the use of softgels. Key market players named in the report include Capsu- gel (Lonza), Sirio Pharma, Catalent, Aenova, Fuji Capsule, Captek Soft- gel International, Curis Health Caps, and EuroCaps. industry news FDA establishes generic drug forum SILVER SPRING, MD—The FDA's Office of Generic Drugs (OGD) has launched the Generic Drug Cluster, establishing the first forum that addresses generic drug development and increases scientific alignment among global regulatory agencies. The forum's main goals include achieving a common under- standing of each agency's regulatory requirements for generic drug devel- opment, offering a confidential forum to discuss development policies and general and product/class-related sci- entific review issues, and addressing long-term safety issues to ensure a generic drugs global safety net. ISPE publishes knowledge management guidance NORTH BETHESDA, MD—The International Society for Pharmaceu- tical Engineering (ISPE) has published "ISPE Good Guide: Knowledge Man- agement in the Pharmaceutical Indus- try," which focuses on how knowledge management can create a more effec- tive pharmaceutical quality system (PQS). This is the first guidance of its kind in the pharmaceutical industry.