Market News
Global Softgel Capsule Market- Recent Developments
Product and Technology Launch
- In November 2021, Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients, pioneer of plant proteins and world-leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients, launched its ready-to-use, pharmaceutical grade solution for vegetarian softgel capsule formulation – LYCAGEL PREMIX, based on pea starch technology.LYCAGEL. launched in 2020, the new softgel blend provides manufacturers with an easy-to-use and convenient solution that ensures fast and reproducible scale-up for both nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical applications.
- In October 2020, Catalent, Inc, a subsidiary company of Lonza Company, manufacturing company for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutrition sectors, launched OptiGel DR technology for the formulation and manufacture of delayed/enteric release softgels. The OptiGel DR technology forms softgel capsules by combining pectin, a naturally derived polysaccharide, and gelatin, which eliminates the need for a separate capsule coating step. The capsules can also reduce gastric reflux effects.
- In September 2020, PB Leiner, the world’s leading manufacturers of high quality gelatins and collagen peptides solutions, launched gelwoRx, a new product family which it has created to effectively address the needs of the health care sector. The launch is being jumpstarted by the release of two soft capsule specialty products: gelwoRx Dsolve enhances the bioavailability of the capsule API by counteracting the natural crosslinking behavior of a capsule shell, while gelwoRx Dhydra expedites soft capsule production time.
Business Development Activities by the Market Players
- On December 1, 2023, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company and Strides Pharma Science Limited, a pharmaceutical company, announced the addition ofIcosapent ethyl acid soft gel capsules, a product referencing vascepa. The product has been in-licensed from Strides, a global pharmaceutical manufacturer, and will be commercialized by Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., starting in the fourth quarter of 2023.
- In September 2022, Everstone Capital, private equity arm of the Everstone Group, (Everstone) announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in Softgel Healthcare (SHPL), a specialized niche dosage form focused manufacturing player catering to the global nutraceuticals, pharmaceutical and over the counter segments. This partnership aims to transform SHPL into a scaled, diversified, and globally recognized contract research, development, and manufacturing organization in India with support of the strategic resources of Everstone Capital. SHPL specializes in research, development, and manufacturing of soft gelatin capsules and probiotics.
- In October 2020, Catalent, Inc, a subsidiary company of Lonza Company, expanded its manufacturing capacity of gelatin capsule by investing US$ 93 million in its capsules and health ingredients (CHI) division. The investment had been led by the company to expand its overall production capacity of capsules within CHI’s Capsugel portfolio by manufacturing 30 billion capsules annually.