The shelf life of finished pharmaceutical products is extremely important to the overall success of a drug product. Many hours of effort goes into ensuring that all solid dosage forms are stable with respect to the effects of temperature and moisture. Being able to measure how tablets and capsules behave under different environmental conditions gives actual information about how these products are interacting with atmospheric moisture. Have you ever wondered what is happening inside the container - how does the drug product cope with changes in temperature and relative humidity? For the first time, we can provide you with real time data in this arena.
Sophisticated techniques are being developed to understand the role played by water molecules in pharmaceutical products. It is known that these products lose and gain water from the atmosphere. The water molecules are located at various sites within the mixture of ingredients, the extent of which depends on the ingredients themselves. Physical changes can occur e.g. crystallinity resulting in polymorphism. Chemically the active ingredient can degrade resulting in undesired impurities. Less understood is the movement of water molecules between ingredients. These processes involving water are driven by relative humidity and may be dependant on the ERH of the materials. Relequa gives an easy entry into the study of this phenomenon.
