Roquette has created a pea-based softgel solution that can be used to make an alternative to gelatin capsules. The new product will allow for many companies to produce vegan-friendly medications and supplement options.
Roquette’s ready-to-use pharmaceutical-grade solution is called LYCAGEL™ Premix. The LYCAGEL™ Premix is made from pea starch, carrageenan, sorbitol, and a gelling agent. The product is fully plant-based and complies EU and US standards for both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products.
Thanks to the solution, manufacturers can easily make capsules with properties that are comparable to the conventional gelatin-based variety. These characteristics include strength, seal integrity, quick drying time with no stickiness, fast disintegration, and no cross-linking. The capsules also have a higher processing temperature suitability than gelatin.
Currently, an estimated 70% of medications contain ingredients of animal origin. According to surveys, 59% of vegans frequently reject medications because of its animal-based ingredients, which leads to concerns that they may be compromising their health.
Veggiepharm, the French company, has launched medications that don’t contain animal-derived ingredients in order to address these concerns. Genexa is also creating “clean medicines” that are free of allergens frequently found in some medicine coatings, such as lactose. Some companies are also developing animal-free alternatives to commonly-used pharmaceutical ingredients, such as The Every Company’s vegan pepsin.
“The launch of LYCAGEL marks a new era for softgel formulations and manufacturing. Manufacturers no longer need to compromise on performance when launching a vegetable softgel solution,” said Paul Smaltz, Head of Roquette’s Global Pharmaceutical business unit. “Designed to be easily adaptable to existing gelatin processes, LYCAGEL can support businesses in bringing vegetarian alternatives to market quickly, without significant changes to existing operations.”
