Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS), a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) and part of Piramal Pharma, has announced the successful development, scale-up, and commercialisation of a tablet-in-capsule drug delivery platform at its facilities in Ahmedabad and Pithampur, India.

The project began at Piramal Pharmaceutical Development Services (PPDS) in Ahmedabad, where the formulation was initially developed. Within five months, the team completed a seamless technology transfer to the company’s commercial manufacturing site in Pithampur, including the development of three distinct tablets designed for encapsulation.

The achievement underscores Piramal’s expertise in managing integrated development programmes. Cross-functional collaboration between development, manufacturing, quality control, validation and programme management teams at both sites ensured a smooth scale-up process while maintaining product safety, efficacy, and regulatory compliance.

Unlike traditional capsules, which typically contain Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) blended with excipients in bead, pellet or powder form, tablet-in-capsule systems offer greater dosing precision and release control. This advanced delivery approach allows multiple active ingredients to be formulated into separate tablets or minitablets, which are then combined within a single capsule shell.

Brad Gold, Ph.D., Head of Global Formulations R&D at Piramal Pharma Solutions and member of Piramal’s Science Collective, said the technology provides significant flexibility for developers. He noted that the ability to incorporate dual actives or dual-release profiles within a single capsule accelerates development timelines while simplifying treatment regimens for patients. Additionally, optimising each drug component individually can improve formulation stability and support personalised medicine approaches.

By applying different coatings to each tablet or minitablet, pharmaceutical developers can achieve tailored release profiles—such as immediate and modified release—within one capsule. The platform also enables the combination of incompatible APIs into a single dosage form, helping reduce dosing frequency and enhance patient adherence.