Capsugel acquires Xcelience and Powdersize and expands its capabilities for the design, development, and manufacture of innovative dosage forms.
Capsugel, a company well known for its manufacturing of drug capsules, continues to expand its ever-growing portfolio and capabilities.
On December 14, Capsugel, Xcelience, and Powdersize announced that the three companies entered into an agreement wherein Capsugel would acquire Xcelience and Powdersize. Today, Capsugel has announced that it completed its acquisitions of Xcelience and Powdersize.
According to today’s press release:
“Xcelience and Powdersize are now part of Capsugel’s Dosage Form Solutions business unit, which partners with pharmaceutical and health and nutrition customers around the world to advance products through an integrated approach to the design, development and manufacture of high-quality, innovative dosage forms.”
Capsugel Dosage Forms Solutions invests in spray-dried dispersion (SDD) technology with the recent completion of a new SDD commercial manufacturing facility at its site in Bend, Ore. The site now features three commercial-scale spray dryers that deliver improved throughput levels and high-potency capabilities. Pictured here is the tank room showing a 2500L solution tank using 500L IBC’s and pillar lift.
“Xcelience and Powdersize were good opportunities not to just complement capabilities and technologies that we already have, but to enhance what we have as well,” said Amit Patel, President of Capsugel Dosage Form Solutions.
Each of the companies brings their own expertise to the agreement and to Capsugel’s ultimate offerings:
- For a broad range of solid dosage forms, Xcelience will provide specialized clinical trial manufacturing and supply capabilities
- Augmenting Capsugel’s formulation design services and premier bioavailability enhancement technology platform, Powdersize will bring micronization capabilities
“Xcelience has microdosing experience: dosage form formats (encapsulation, tableting) that is additive to what Capsugel has done in the past,” Patel explained.
Despite the various expertise that each company brings to the table, they also share similarities.
“Both companies have infrastructure and experience in managing and handling active ingredients that are highly potent or controlled substances that require specific infrastructure licenses and processes,” said Patel. “This creates a more global network.”
Tampa-based Xcelience’s in-line printing that includes UV Technology for clinical packaging services for oral solid dosage forms.
With a unique outlook on acquisitions, Capsugel did not enter into this agreement without due consideration.
“As we explore potential acquisitions, we are looking for the right opportunities to accelerate combined growth,” Patel explained. “Both of the companies [Xcelience and Powdersize] have been growing on their own, but the question is: can we do more together? We believe we can.”
As a company, Capsugel looks for growth opportunities that benefit both customers and employees.
“All the acquisitions we have done historically,” said Patel, “have had this common theme.”
According to Patel, many of the company’s customers prefer that work on a particular product is under one service provider.
“This helps us in that direction,” said Patel.
Both Xcelience and Powdersize will be integrated with Capsugel’s Dosage Form Solutions business unit.
“Once they [Xcelience and Powdersize] are integrated into the business, the customers they have will continued to be serviced, and there will be a number of opportunities to be explored. Some of our customers will benefit from what Xcelience and Powdersize bring to table and vice versa,” said Patel.
At present, Capsugel has not formally announced their immediate plans for Xcelience and Powdersize.
Fully contained high shear and jacketed mixing vessel located at the high potency manufacturing area at Capsugel Dosage Form Solutions’ site in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In addition to the company’s acquisition endeavors, Capsugel has been working to expand its drug delivery technologies as well as its overarching pipeline.
“For Capsugel, there are two ways we think about products and pipelines—the actual technologies we offer and how those technologies are applied to our customer’s products.”
Here are a few of Capsugel’s recent milestones:
- March 26, 2015: Capsugel invests more than $25 million in increased production capacity and quality enhancements for its vegetarian capsule portfolio
- June 30, 2015: Capsugel unveils new spray-dried dispersion commercial manufacturing facility in Bend, Oregon
- July 23, 2015: Capsugel expands pharmaceutical product development and manufacturing capabilities at its Edinburgh facility
- October 2, 2015: Capsugel expands DRcaps™ capsule platform with new liquid-fill capability
- October 26, 2015: Capsugel launches enTRinsic™ drug delivery technology platform
“As we bring a lot of these different technologies and solutions (through internal R&D and acquisitions) to fruition,” said Patel, “what’s most exciting is that when those products get approved and launched, they immediately start benefiting patients. Those benefits may not have otherwise been achieved if it wasn’t for our unique technologies and collaborations with our customers.”
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