Quintiles Invests in New Freeman Technology Powder Rheometer
Researchers at Quintiles in Edinburgh (Scotland) have purchased the new Freeman Technology FT4 Powder Rheometer for use in the company’s drug development programmes. The purchase follows an extended rental period during which the system underwent extensive evaluation as part of Quintiles’ drive to characterise candidate compounds as fully as possible early in the development cycle using minimal quantities of drug substance. The FT4 will now be used for the routine assessment of powder flowability.
Dr David Bain, Head of Formulation, Quintiles, commented: “On behalf of our customers, we are interested in gathering as much flowability data as possible on the increasingly complex compounds that we work with. Crucially, investing in the FT4 has allows us to work with small quantities of material in order to gain a detailed understanding of its behaviour. This is very important as only small amounts of material are available in the early stages of formulation. Data gathered on how a formulation might interact with process machinery ensures that scale up and production can proceed without delaying all-important clinical studies or product launch.”
In the pharmaceutical industry today, new molecules emerging from discovery programmes typically are bigger than previous generations - with additional functional groups, for example, adding structural complexity. As a consequence, candidates have become less water soluble, more difficult to formulate and more challenging to synthesise. It is therefore not surprising that limited quantities of material are available and that gaining an early understanding of the rheology of a formulation is of growing importance.
Reg Freeman, founder of Freeman Technology, concluded: “The FT4 is unique in measuring all the relevant forces needed to give a complete and accurate measurement of powder flowability. In contrast to traditional methods that give a less meaningful single number result, our approach recognises the complex nature of powders and the need to evaluate flow properties in relation to the many key variables such as flow rate, aeration, consolidation and moisture content. This additional information is crucial to the decisions made as a formulation moves into production and allows scientists to better match material to machine.”
About Freeman Technology and the FT4
Freeman Technology provides instruments that measure and classify the flow properties of powders. The patented FT4 Powder Rheometer aids formulation of new materials, helps optimise handling and processing and can provide quality control standards that lead to real productivity and quality gains.
Traditionally, such measurements have presented a difficult challenge, but now the FT4 provides comprehensive data on powder flow properties. The FT4 is a significant development from the successful FT3 and, like its predecessor, the new instrument uses Freeman’s patented technology to provide comprehensive data on powder flow properties. In the FT4, an embedded high-specification processor eliminates the need for an external PC. Networking capabilities mean users can access powder flowability data remotely as well as carrying out analysis in the laboratory, and a universal bus provides serial, automated daisy chaining of accessories. The FT4 also features a digital control system and new digital data acquisition system for force, torque and position measurement, providing improved control, greater speed range and enhanced sensitivity.
New Freeman FT4 Powder Rheometer
28 April 2004
Matching Material with Machine
Quintiles Invests in New Freeman Technology Powder Rheometer
Researchers at Quintiles in Edinburgh (Scotland) have purchased the new Freeman Technology FT4 Powder Rheometer for use in the company’s drug development programmes. The purchase follows an extended rental period during which the system underwent extensive evaluation as part of Quintiles’ drive to characterise candidate compounds as fully as possible early in the development cycle using minimal quantities of drug substance. The FT4 will now be used for the routine assessment of powder flowability.
Dr David Bain, Head of Formulation, Quintiles, commented: “On behalf of our customers, we are interested in gathering as much flowability data as possible on the increasingly complex compounds that we work with. Crucially, investing in the FT4 has allows us to work with small quantities of material in order to gain a detailed understanding of its behaviour. This is very important as only small amounts of material are available in the early stages of formulation. Data gathered on how a formulation might interact with process machinery ensures that scale up and production can proceed without delaying all-important clinical studies or product launch.”
In the pharmaceutical industry today, new molecules emerging from discovery programmes typically are bigger than previous generations - with additional functional groups, for example, adding structural complexity. As a consequence, candidates have become less water soluble, more difficult to formulate and more challenging to synthesise. It is therefore not surprising that limited quantities of material are available and that gaining an early understanding of the rheology of a formulation is of growing importance.
Reg Freeman, founder of Freeman Technology, concluded: “The FT4 is unique in measuring all the relevant forces needed to give a complete and accurate measurement of powder flowability. In contrast to traditional methods that give a less meaningful single number result, our approach recognises the complex nature of powders and the need to evaluate flow properties in relation to the many key variables such as flow rate, aeration, consolidation and moisture content. This additional information is crucial to the decisions made as a formulation moves into production and allows scientists to better match material to machine.”
About Freeman Technology and the FT4
Freeman Technology provides instruments that measure and classify the flow properties of powders. The patented FT4 Powder Rheometer aids formulation of new materials, helps optimise handling and processing and can provide quality control standards that lead to real productivity and quality gains.
Traditionally, such measurements have presented a difficult challenge, but now the FT4 provides comprehensive data on powder flow properties. The FT4 is a significant development from the successful FT3 and, like its predecessor, the new instrument uses Freeman’s patented technology to provide comprehensive data on powder flow properties. In the FT4, an embedded high-specification processor eliminates the need for an external PC. Networking capabilities mean users can access powder flowability data remotely as well as carrying out analysis in the laboratory, and a universal bus provides serial, automated daisy chaining of accessories. The FT4 also features a digital control system and new digital data acquisition system for force, torque and position measurement, providing improved control, greater speed range and enhanced sensitivity.
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