In an effort to address the technological needs of the formulation industry, Dow Wolff Cellulosics is looking at innovative R&D and technical support team efforts to offer technologies as custom based solutions to pharmaceutical companies.

Dow Wolff Cellulosics, the recently formed specialty business unit under The Dow Chemicals Company, is currently developing new platform technologies for the industry in areas like Hot Melt Extrusion (HME) and foam granulation technologies, said Philip Pilnik, global commercial director-pharmaceuticals, Dow Wolff Cellulosics explaining the current activities of the company.

While HME supports the pharma company to enhance drug solubilisation and attain desired release profile, foam granulation is a cost saving processing aid in the granulation step. The company is also offering Foam-on-a-spoon (FOAS), another product in the foam technology, a novel way of dispensing and incorporating medicines mainly in the paediatric, geriatric and veterinary segments.

"With the different approaches, additional production capacity for cellulose polymers and technologies from Wolff, we will develop new solutions to serve more customers by identifying the known gaps in the industry. Knowing and understanding these gaps is a challenge and we at DWC are gearing up to fill in and improvise our offerings. For example, new polymer for drug solubilisation is a need in the industry and we are looking at new technologies to resolve the issues," said Pilnik.

The company is also closely working with Colorcon as a part of its global Controlled Release alliance on Dow's leading product brands, Methocel (Hypromellose) grades, Ethocel (Ethyl cellulose) grades and Polyox-poly(ethylene) oxide resins. The alliance with Colorcon, an application specialist for Dow's polymer chemistry and an expert in formulation applications, will strengthen the market of these products, according to Clark J Cummings, senior R&D leader, pharmaceutical excipients, Dow Wolff Cellulosics.

The company is currently working with various Indian pharmaceutical companies including some of the industry majors to offer customised solution through innovative technologies.

Dow Wolff Cellulosics will have an application centre in the upcoming global R&D of Dow Chemicals in Pune. India is considered as one of the major markets of Dow and the company will expand its operations in terms of infrastructure and manpower to consolidate its presence in the subcontinent as the part of its global business expansion plans, maintained Pilnik.

Commenting on the synergy in the Dow Wolff Cellulosics business, set up with the acquisition of Bayer Group's Wolff Walsrode business last year, he said, "Dow has its historically well known Cellulosics business and the acquisition of Wolff has added more value. We are exploring new technologies with this synergy which is a learning process for us as well", he added that the company's research pipeline is in sync with that of the pharmaceutical industry.