Oral solid dosage forms: overcoming the MUPS challenge

MUPS (multiple unit particle/pellet system) is one of the most challenging galenical forms of oral solid dosage in the pharmaceutical industry. At Acino we manufacture three MUPS products and can proudly say that over the years we have become experts in their manufacturing.

There are various challenges to overcome during production. The embedded pellets often have premodified release properties that can be altered during the compression process, making the dissolution difficult to predict.

Another well-known challenge is to achieve a homogeneous pellet distribution in the tablet. Pellets and the surrounding matrix often show differences in density and particle size distribution, which may lead to demixing. This can occur during blending, transportation from blender to feeding shoe, or while dyeing before compression.

The worst-case scenario would be the combination of all three events, which could result in a MUPS tablet with pellets accumulated mainly on one side. However, detecting such accumulation promptly solves the problem.

At Acino, we developed a method to tackle this potential issue and successfully apply it during the manufacturing of new products or during changes to the existing ones. It helps us identify demixing issues and immediately counteract and optimize the compression process to achieve a homogeneous pellet distribution within the MUPS tablet.