Pharmaceutical Spray Dryers PSD

GEA Niro's PSD pharmaceutical spray dryer is a flexible, modern, and easy-to-handle dryer available with different levels of control systems. It dries solutions, suspensions, and emulsions into powders. It can be used as a laboratory spray dryer for testing and development work, or for batch production.

The PSD offers a choice of three atomizer systems: rotary, co-current two-fluid nozzle, and fountain two-fluid nozzle. It dries both aqueous and solvent feedstocks safely. The dryer provides excellent access and is configured to be Cleaned - In - Place (CIP).

Plants Customized for Success

Every pharmaceutical plant and system from GEA Niro is a unique union of proven technology and individual solutions. Based on standard components, we supply plants for cGMP production configured to meet the customer's specific requirements. Among the large number of variations are: The right size to meet the customer's output requirements, the drying principle to be used, atomization configuration, and open or closed cycle operation.

Today's increased demands for customized design, special materials of construction, special surface treatment, advanced control systems, GMP production, and process validation have resulted in continuous improvement in spray dryer design for the pharmaceutical industry. One of the most important choices in a plant configuration is choosing the right atomization and powder discharge method. We offer a wide range of solutions as illustrated below.

Single Point Discharge

Two Point Discharge

Closed Cycle Design

• Equipment for closed-cycle operation
• Facilities for hot gas sanitization
• Special sanitary duct connections
• Special construction materials
• HEPA filters for gas streams
• Special process gas disperser design
• Swirl cone for chamber access
• CIP system and equipment
• Mirror polished surface
• Explosion protection systems

Advantages of spray drying includes:

• improving bioavailability by capturing APIs in an amorphous form
• encapsulation for drug release control and taste masking
• aseptic production with precise control over the process
• particle engineering to allow painless inhalation delivery
• and in-line granulation for better compressibility in a single process

Improved relative bioavailability through cGMP spray drying

cGMP Spray Drying

Although high therapeutic efficacy is demonstrated in many new therapeutic compounds in many cases the relative bioavailability of these compounds is an issue. Even in the past many promising pharmaceutical drugs were shelved because of their poor bioavailibility. There are various ways to improve the bioavailability of a substance. One frequently used method is to increase the surface area of the substance. Distributing the active substance throughout a dispersion medium will increase the surface area of the active substance. This is commonly called a solid dispersion for solid dosage formulations where the solid active substance is dispersed in a solid dispersion medium.

The objective is to create a true solution of the active substance in the solid dispersion medium. As the active substance is more finely dispersed throughout the dispersion medium the greater the chance of creating a molecular or colloidal dispersion. As the dispersion is kept fine, the surface area of the active substance is increased. This will increase the probability that the bio-availability of the active substance will be increased.

In solid dosage applications the objective is to achieve a molecular or colloidal dispersion of the active substance in the dispersion medium. The best way to ensure this is to create a solution of both the active substance and the dispersion medium in a suitable solvent. The solvent must be quickly removed so that the active substance remains in an amorphous glass state dispersed on a molecular or colloidal level. This can be effectively achieved through the use of a spray drying process.