Winter medicine under the microscope: The power of particle analysis

Dear Followers,

January is a time for new beginnings, resolutions, and an awful lot of illnesses and colds. But have you ever wondered about the science that goes into developing some of your trusted cold and flu medicines? In this edition, we will delve into the complexities of nasal spray development and how our Morphologi 4 range can be utilized for advanced particle characterization. We’ll also explore the complexities of lipid nanoparticle characterization, which will be a key topic at this years’ Applied Biophysics Forum in Drug Delivery 2025 (11-12 March 2025, Mainz, Germany).

In addition, and in acknowledgment that we should all be doing our best to maintain our intake of fruits and vegetables, even in these darker winter days, we’ll be celebrating our Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award – watch the video to learn more about our cutting-edge technology for sustainable agriculture.

Battling the winter chill: The role of particle analysis in nasal sprays

As the frosty grip of winter tightens its hold, many of us find ourselves reaching for remedies to soothe coughs, colds, and flu symptoms. But have you ever stopped to consider the science behind these medicines? Beyond the active ingredients, particle analysis plays a critical, often unseen, role in ensuring the effectiveness and safety of your winter relief. For many, nasal sprays are their winter product of choice – they're easy to use and can deliver targeted action right at the source of the problem!

Optimizing the performance of a nasal spray to ensure product quality, safety, and efficacy targets are met requires consideration of both the drug particle size distribution and the droplet size distribution of the formulation as it is released from the spray nozzle. Formulations will have an upper and lower regulatory limit for the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) particle size distribution, which is important for dosage, application and bioavailability. The droplet size distribution must also be controlled to ensure that the formulation deposits in the nasal passages rather than in the lungs, which can become a risk when there are droplets smaller than 9 microns.

Malvern Panalytical’s Morphologi 4-ID and Spraytec systems provide complementary analytical techniques to help pharmaceutical companies achieve their product development goals. The Morphologi 4-ID system uses automated image analysis, enabling detailed particle size and shape measurements in formulations to be considered. In addition to this, the built-in Raman spectrometer enables Morphologically-Directed Raman Spectroscopy (MDRS) analysis, facilitating detailed chemical identification of both API and excipient particles. The Spraytec uses laser diffraction to capture the droplet size evolution from a device in detail. High acquisition rates (up to 10kHz), ensure that even the shortest and fastest spray event can be captured and characterized in dynamic measurements that operate down to the microsecond scale.

So, as you reach for your trusted nasal spray remedy this winter, remember the vital role that particle analysis plays in getting you back on your feet. It’s a crucial piece of the puzzle in ensuring the effectiveness and safety of the medicines we rely on, especially during the cold winter months.

Find out more about our particle analysis solutions for pharmaceuticals here.

Latest news ????

Celebrating Malvern Panalytical’s Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award

In March 2024, we had the honor of receiving the prestigious Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) in the Scale! category. This incredible achievement recognized our groundbreaking work on our Smart Return Agriculture solution, which combines a VIS-NIR sensor with cloud-based artificial intelligence to monitor leaf and soil nitrogen levels, disease incidence and fruit ripeness in real-time. Smart Return Agriculture is just one of our rapidly-expanding suite of digital solutions - a highly-effective and cost-efficient way to improve global food security while also supporting climate action and environmental protection – aligning perfectly with Malvern Panalytical’s vision to help make the world cleaner, healthier and more productive.

We are excited to share that our award video has now been published! Watch the award video here to learn more about how plant producers can precisely monitor nitrogen levels and adjust fertilizer quantities through our scalable Smart Return Agriculture technology.

This MIMA award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and we’re incredibly proud to be recognized for our contribution to sustainable agriculture. Once again, thank you to Microsoft and to Roland Berger for this award!

Spotlight ??

Advances in lipid nanoparticle characterization

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are at the forefront of drug delivery, particularly in the development of mRNA vaccines and other advanced therapeutics. LNPs are small spherical vesicles formed of a mixture of ionizable cationic lipids, helper lipids (such as DSPC and cholesterol), and PEGylated lipids.?

The ability to accurately characterize LNPs is crucial for optimizing their design, formulation, and manufacturing processes. In addition, understanding their physicochemical attributes is key for optimizing LNP-based drug formulations and evaluating their effects.?

When identifying trends, a multi-technology approach is essential to validate findings. For instance, NanoSight Pro is the perfect partner to Zetasizer Advance because it delivers quick particle size distribution data. Additionally, NanoSight Pro’s visual validation provides immediate and direct confirmation of sample heterogeneity and potential stability issues. By combining the strengths of NanoSight Pro and Zetasizer Advance, researchers can achieve a comprehensive characterization of lipid nanoparticles, allowing them to make informed decision-making throughout the entire development pipeline.

With better characterization tools, we can accelerate the development of more effective and safer medicines. This means faster delivery of life-saving treatments to patients in need, ultimately improving health outcomes for patients. Learn more here.

Upcoming events ??

Applied Biophysics Forum in Drug Delivery 2025

11-12 March 2025, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz, Germany

?The Applied Biophysics Forum in Drug Delivery will bring together researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders for discussion focused on?lipid nanoparticle (LNP)?and nucleic acid drug delivery.?

Key topics at this year’s sessions:

• What is the current landscape of lipid-based drug development and the biophysical tools driving it forward??
• Biophysics in process & analytical development considering regulatory requirements?
• Biophysical and computational approaches: Focus on lipids?
• Biophysical and computational approaches: Focus on nucleic acids?
• New insights with emerging technologies ?
• Future directions for the biophysics of drug delivery systems?

For more information and registration, please visit the?Applied Biophysics Forum?event page on the Malvern Panalytical website.?

Last year’s event sold out fast, so don’t delay, secure your place by buying your ticket today.

Visit our website to find out more.

Should you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you.

The Malvern Panalytical team