BEE International Blog

“Drug development” is a professional term used to define the process of bringing a newly discovered drug or pharmaceutical device to market. The process includes drug discovery, chemistry and pharmacology, nonclinical safety testing, manufacturing, clinical trials, and regulatory submissions. Drug development is a lengthy process, with many drugs taking an average of 10 years to be developed and prepared to be introduced to market and made available to the general public. Luckily, numerous strategies have been developed in recent years that aim to reduce drug discovery time.

Common Strategies Include:

• High-throughput screening: This method uses automated techniques to screen large numbers of compounds quickly and efficiently, which can help identify potential drug candidates faster.
• Computer-aided drug design: This approach uses computational tools to predict the properties and behavior of potential drug candidates, which can help identify compounds that are more likely to be effective and have fewer side effects.
• Collaboration: Collaborating with other research groups, industry partners, and government agencies can help share resources and expertise, which can speed up the drug discovery and development process.
• Targeted drug development: By focusing on specific disease targets, the drug discovery process can be streamlined and targeted, which reduces the number of compounds that need to be screened and tested.
• Advancement in technologies: Advancements in technologies such as genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics can help to better understand the underlying biology of diseases, which can lead to the identification of new drug targets and the development of more effective drugs.
• Regulatory streamlining: Implementing a more efficient, flexible, and predictable regulatory process can help to speed up the approval process and reduce the time needed to bring new drugs to market.
• Repurposing existing drugs: Identifying new indications for existing drugs can help to speed up the drug development process, as these compounds have already been through safety and efficacy testing.
• Choosing the right process equipment can play a role in reducing new drug discovery time by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the drug discovery and development process. Furthermore, the use of advanced equipment for the production and formulation of the drug, can also help to speed up the development process by increasing the yield and purity of the drug substance and improving the stability, bioavailability and shelf-life of the final product.
  

Overall, a combination of these strategies can be used to reduce drug discovery and development time, while also increasing the chances of success.

Why BEE International?

BEE High pressure homogenizers can play a role in reducing drug discovery and development time by enabling the production of nanoemulsions and liposomes, which can improve the bioavailability and efficacy of pharmaceutical drugs.

Nanoemulsions are stable, homogenous mixtures of oil and water that can encapsulate hydrophobic drugs, increasing their solubility and bioavailability. High pressure homogenizers can be used to create nanoemulsions by forcefully pushing the mixture of oil and water through a small orifice under high pressure, which can break the mixture into small droplets.

Liposomes are spherical vesicles composed of a phospholipid bilayer that can encapsulate hydrophilic or hydrophobic drugs, increasing their stability and targeted delivery. High pressure homogenizers can be used to create liposomes by forcefully pushing the phospholipids and drug through a small orifice under high pressure, which can form the spherical vesicles.

Additionally, High pressure homogenizers can also be used to reduce the particle size of drugs, which can improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Therefore, the use of high pressure homogenizers can help to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of drugs, which can ultimately lead to faster identification of new drug candidates and can reduce the time needed to bring new drugs to market.

It's worth noting that high pressure homogenization is just one step in the drug development process, other steps such as preclinical and clinical studies, regulatory approval, and manufacturing must be completed as well. However, the use of high pressure homogenization can help to improve the quality and effectiveness of the final product, which may ultimately lead to faster approval and market availability of new drugs.

For more information about BEEI high pressure homogenizers and the role they can play in the reduction of drug discovery and development time, please contact us here.

Pharmaceutical suspensions are dispersions of insoluble solid particles in a suspending (often liquid) medium. They represent a common form of drug delivery, with pharmaceutical suspensions safeguarding the accurate dosage of many insoluble drug ingredients. Of course, pharmaceutical suspensions taste and/or smell better and are more effective when the size of the solid particles are as small and as uniform as possible; small particles that are similar in size can be more evenly packed, making them more stable and a lot more reliable as chemical agents. Take a look at why controlled particle packing improves pharmaceutical suspensions and the type of equipment needed to render the best particle packing results:

Small, Uniform Particles Improve Pharmaceutical Suspensions

Think about mixing together sand and water, and then about mixing together pebbles and water. Which one is easier to do? It’s sand and water, right? The small size of each sand grain makes it easier to mix them all into the water. It also diminishes their weight, allowing them to stay “floating” in the water for a longer amount of time. In much the same way, pharmaceutical suspensions that have smaller particles in them remain stable (i.e., mixed and “useable”) for longer periods since they necessarily delay sedimentation (which would render the drug ineffective and, consequently, useless). Furthermore, smaller particles help to control the delivery of the drug’s active ingredient by evenly dispersing it throughout the suspending medium, ensuring that each dose contains equal parts of all ingredients. Finally, smaller particles work to keep pharmaceutical suspension costs down since the volume of active ingredient(s) of any one product remains constant and can be consistently measured and dispersed during each manufacturing run.

High Pressure Homogenizers Render the Best Particle Packing Results

There are many types of equipment specifically designed to break apart substances. The industry often determines the type used. When making pharmaceutical suspensions, for example, drug manufacturers frequently choose bead mills, rotor-stator homogenizers and/or ultrasonic homogenizers. The problem, however, is that all of these types of homogenizers only use one force each (such as shear, impact or cavitation). Indeed, each piece of equipment has limitations regarding the type of material it can process and the minimum size of particle it can guarantee. Our high pressure homogenizers offered here at BEE International, however, use a combination of agitation, shear, impact , cavitation and pressure to ensure the most versatile range of applications available on the market today.

The BEE International Advantage

The patented and propietary technology of BEEI high pressure homogenizers combines multiple forces to ensure the most controlled particle size reduction processes. Our equipment not only allows pharmaceutical suspension manufacturers to accurately and consistently render the smallest and most uniform particles, but we also deliver the least variance in particle size distribution in the fewest passes. Typically, users realize at least 10% improvement over other conventional HPH in this capacity.  BEEI empowers users to create the most efficient, thus, more affordable, process for their products.

Please contact us to learn how high pressure homogenizers from BEE International improve particle packing so that the pharmaceutical suspensions made with them are longer lasting, safer and more effective than those made with other types of equipment.

Homogenizer machines provide a number of benefits within a wide variety of industries. Whether used by a multi-million dollar dairy producer or a local boutique cosmetic company or countless types of businesses in between, homogenizers offer advantages that guarantee superior products no matter the application; when the stakes are especially high, they even help save lives. Just consider the pharmaceutical industry, where homogenizers are vital to the production of drugs tasked with maintaining or improving quality of life. In these instances, the value of a homogenizer machine can literally be the difference between life and death. Take a look at three ways homogenizers are used within the pharmaceutical industry:

To Maximize Stability

All homogenizers reduce particle size so that the elements of a substance can be more easily and more thoroughly mixed. In the pharmaceutical world, being able to break apart one part of a drug and completely meld it with another part is especially important because it increases the reliability of potency that good medicines should always deliver. Indeed, a stable (i.e., “invariable”) drug, when liquid, is often an emulsion in which two immiscible fluids have been forcibly combined in some way; they can also be dispersions of small, solid particles that have been mixed with a liquid. Shaking or stirring substances can produce brief periods of either type of mixture, but a homogenizer machine is the best way to effectuate an amalgamation that doesn’t eventually revert to the original states of the individual components. This is particularly significant as it allows manufacturers to guarantee the effectiveness of a drug’s impact while improving taste, appearance and viscosity along the way.

To Enhance Bioavailability

Stable drugs are able to provide greater bioavailabilty of their active ingredients. Their small particles allow a body to absorb a drug more quickly and more easily, thus enabling the drug to work more effectively overall.

To Extend Shelf Life

A homogenizer machine is vital for extending a product’s shelf life. As mentioned above, many energy sources can generate transitory fusion, but homogenizers so firmly reduce the size of and then bond components that any resulting pharmaceutical products they help produce last longer than those made via other mixing methods.

The BEE International Advantage

Homogenizer machines, especially high pressure ones like those designed and sold by our team here at BEE International, are vital to the production of a wide range of products, not least of which include those within the pharmaceutical industry. Our patented Emulsifying Cell (EC) technology incorporates shear, cavitation and impact to break down, mix and blend, helping you create quality drugs that last longer on the shelf and can be easily absorbed for maximum benefit in the least amount of time. If you are looking for a homogenizer machine that can transition you from concept, research and design to clinical trials, FDA approval and, finally, manufacturing, contact a member of our sales team. We can help you determine the right machine for your needs.

Please also download our free eBook, "Advantages of BEE Homogenizers for the Pharmaceutical Industry," for more information on the benefits of choosing one of our proprietary homogenizer machines.

Buying an automobile or house may be a complex process, but you often want to perform detailed research before making such a substantial purchase. You want to ensure your purchase has the capabilities you require, fits within your budget and offers a good investment.

For manufacturers of pharmaceutical equipment, doing research before buying a homogenizer or any other sizable item necessary for production is key to finding the right one. Though this process many seem time-consuming, you’ll end up with a product that best fits your needs and gives you the most benefits. Following are ten questions to ask before buying a homogenizer:

Why do I need one?

Though homogenizers are valuable tools for manufacturers in multiple industries, different models typically address different needs. For instance, maybe you need a homogenizer to mass-manufacture a product that has been approved for market. Or, perhaps you’re conducting research and development and need to disrupt yeast cells. At BEE International, we produce separate homogenizers for each phase of drug development. Make sure the product you choose is best suited to your specific business needs.

What differentiates one homogenizer from similar ones on the market?

In your research for a homogenizer, be sure to ask each manufacturer about their product’s specific capabilities and benefits. Their customer support personnel should be able to articulate any unique functions and/or specifications their products have and define ways it may be more cost-effective than competing products.

Does my product require a specific particle size?

To purchase a homogenizer which provides maximum laboratory output, you should ensure you know the required consistency in texture and size for your product to achieve safety and efficacy. Most pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, inhalants and anesthetics, need to be synthesized using a specific particle size. Many high-pressure homogenizers are able to produce emulsions, dispersions and suspensions at particle sizes of 100 µm or higher, but only a select few can achieve a size of down to 0.1 µm.

Which accessories are recommended and/or required for optimal performance?

Many times, a homogenizer without a lot of bells and whistles will perform the job for which you selected it well. However, some accessories are designed to offer benefits such as time savings, improved process accuracy and enhanced process efficiency. For example, deflector heads can facilitate homogenization of viscous material, generator probes can prevent cross-contamination and pre-assembled bead kits can make the process much easier. Check with each manufacturer to see if any specific accessories are needed for their homogenizing product to run at its highest possible level.

Do you have a demo machine we can test to see if your product meets our needs?

Before you purchase any homogenizer from any manufacturer, it’s important to try each one out to make sure it’s the best fit for your laboratory. For instance, if you handle high volumes of samples, you should try a homogenizer with a high motor capacity for optimal processing efficiency. If you have a desired mixing speed, you should examine homogenizers that let you easily achieve and maintain this speed or change it as necessary.

Other questions to ask when looking to purchase a homogenizer should center around company reputation, product warranties, level of customer service after purchase, user training and education, output capacity and ease of use. Taking the time to select the homogenizer best suited to your needs will be worth the effort.

BEE International: Trust Us with Your Homogenization Needs

At Bee International, we have extensive experience in the challenges our pharmaceutical customers face as they transition from concept, R&D, clinical trials and all-important FDA approval to manufacturing. Plus, we’re trusted by pharmaceutical researchers and laboratory managers around the world. Contact us today to learn more about our complete line of homogenizers.

For more information on the advantages of BEE homogenizers for the pharmaceutical industry, download our FREE eBook:

Homogenization, the process of reducing particle size, is gaining popularity in the pharmaceutical field, where its benefits can be realized in the research and development of new medicines, drugs, and treatments. But how exactly do high pressure homogenizers benefit the pharmaceutical manufacturing process? And what advantages do BEE International homogenizers over equipment offered by competitors? Continue reading for more information on the many ways homogenization, and our homogenizing equipment, can benefit those in the pharmaceutical industry.

Effective Particle Size Reduction

BEE International offers a number of homogenizers that are well suited for use in the pharmaceutical industry, including the Micro DeBEE, Nano DeBEE, and Mini DeBEE. These homogenizers effectively use multiple mechanical forces – turbulence, cavitation, shear, and impact – to achieve the best results. These forces, used in combination, allow for effective particle size reduction in fewer passes, resulting in increased product efficiency and quality.

Effective Cell Disruption and Cell Lysis

Not only are our homogenizers highly effective at reducing particle size, they are also well suited for effective, yet gentle, rupturing of cells. Our homogenizers are capable of lysing virtually any type of cell, including yeast, bacteria, algae, fungi, E. coli, and even delicate mammalian tissue.

Repeatable, Adjustable, and Scalable Results

BEE International’s line of high pressure homogenizers offer the highest quality available in today’s market. Our equipment offers a host of features, including a maximum operating pressure of up to 45,000 psi, capacities of up to 400 mL/min, and parallel, reverse, and dual feed process settings. In addition, the mechanical forces offered by our homogenizers can be adjusted and fine-tuned to meet the unique needs of the pharmaceutical industry. This allows for results that are not only high quality, but repeatable, adjustable, and scalable as well.

Unparalleled Customer Support

Your relationship with BEE International does not simply end after you purchase one of our high pressure homogenizers. Our equipment carries an extensive warranty, which covers any damage to the machine (not caused by the customer) 100%. In addition, BEE International provides extensive training and installation support, with additional support available over the phone as needed. We stand behind our product, and our customer’s satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us.

For more information on our homogenizing equipment and how it can increase the quality of your pharmaceutical products, please contact us today. To learn more about how BEE International’s high pressure homogenizers can benefit the pharmaceutical process, download our free eBook here:

The mechanical process where partciles are divided into microscopic sizes, is known as homogenization. It can also be referred to as micronization or cell fractionation. This process is completed under conditions of intense stress and extremely high pressures – up to over 20,000 psi in some applications. The process of homogenization is a critical one – one used in a variety of industries, including food, dairy, cosmetic, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries. Homogenization – particularly pharmaceutical homogenization – results in an improvement of product stability, shelf life, product cost, and taste. Homogenization represents a marked improvement over other dispersion methods, such as stirrers, colloid mills, sonicators, or rotor-stator devices.

Role of Homogenizers

The role that homogenizers play in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process is an important one. With homogenization comes a smaller particle size and more even distribution of critical active ingredients. For topical pharmaceutical products, such as anesthetic creams and other topical ointments, this allows for these medications to absorb more readily into the skin, thanks to the increased surface area of the particles – another effect of successful homogenization. In the pharmaceutical industry, this translates to efficient use and even distribution of expensive active ingredients, thus reducing overall costs while increasing overall efficacy.

Homogenizers also play an important role in other pharmaceutical products, such as medicinal syrups, capsules, antibiotics, and a variety of other medications taken internally. The high pressure, turbulence, and impact during the homogenization process work together to make these types of pharmaceutical products stable, clinically effective, and cost effective as well.

What BEE International Has to Offer

BEE International offers a wide variety of homogenizers to meet both small and large-scale production needs in laboratory, pilot plant, and industrial settings. For laboratory use, our Micro DeBEE, Nano DeBEE and Mini DeBEE systems offer a consistent, reliable, and repeatable process for a number of applications, including cell disruption, particle size reduction, nano and micro emulsions, and dispersions.

For larger-scale homogenization, our pilot plant and industrial homogenizers offer high capacity particle size reduction for micro and nano emulsions and particles. These high pressure homogenizers are designed for cGMP manufacturing, and are used in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, life sciences, food, and cosmetic products.

Contact us today to discuss the benefits our homogenizers can bring to manufacturing your company’s products.

For more information on how homogenizers could benefit the pharmaceutical industry, download our FREE eBook:

Homogenization – also known as cell fractionation or micronization – is the process of dividing particles into microscopic sizes, ranging anywhere from 0.5 microns to 2 microns, depending on the application. Homogenizers play an important role in the pharmaceutical industry, and are commonly used for dispersions, emulsions, particle size reduction, and cell rupture.

Keep reading to discover the advantages of homogenizers for pharmaceutical products in the ever-growing pharmaceutical industry.

1. Reduced Particle Size

Effective homogenization results in a smaller particle size for a more even distribution of active ingredients. For topical pharmaceutical products, such as medicated creams, lotions, and ointments, this allows those critical medications to absorb more rapidly into the skin. A reduction in particle size increases the surface area of critical (and often expensive) active ingredients, which allows for an even dispersion of the active ingredients in the product, which increases efficacy of pharmaceutical products and lowers cost as well.

2. Increased Stability of Pharmaceutical Products

As mentioned above, high-quality homogenizers have the ability to reduce the particle size of critical active ingredients. Not only does this particle size reduction allow for even distribution of ingredients, it can also help improve the stability of otherwise unstable active ingredients. Some crucial active ingredients used in the pharmaceutical industry are solid at room temperature, and only moderately soluble in water or organic solvents.

Therefore by using effective homogenization, manufacturers and researchers can reduce these otherwise difficult to work with active ingredients into a smaller size. This way they have increased solubility in these mediums, many of which can work further to increase the shelf life and stability of the active ingredients.

3. Increased Reliability in Manufacturing Settings

Using a homogenizer means manufacturers and researchers have more control in their settings. Because a homogenizer utilizes many forces from shear to cavitation to impact, there are many more factors to adjust to create the most efficient particle size reduction method. So while testing can be a bit longer to find the right settings, the scalability and efficiency of the right homogenizer settings can make a huge difference in time and money when it comes to manufacturing.

Looking for a Homogenizer for Your Pharmaceutical Applications?

BEE International has a number of first-class homogenizers that can meet the needs of manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry. Our industrial homogenizers are designed for cGMP manufacturing, and offer reliability suitable for all industries, including those with a 24/7 operating schedule. Our proprietary software offers touch screen guided operation, data collection, security, online maintenance schedules and alarms, and configurable recipes and capacities.

BEE International industrial homogenizers and high pressure homogenizers are manufacturing pharmaceutical, chemical, life sciences, food, cosmetic products, and more. Call us today at 508.238.5558 or contact us here to discuss the benefits our homogenizers can bring to manufacturing your company’s products. For more information, you can also download our FREE eBook, “Advantages of BEE Homogenizers for the Pharmaceutical Industry” here:

Homogenization in the pharmaceutical industry is used to improve the appearance, texture, stability and efficacy of medicinal products. Homogenization is the process of reducing the particle or droplet sizes of pharmaceutical products.  In a high pressure homogenizer, this occurs under very high pressures, cavitation, shear, turbulence, acceleration and impact.

Read on to discover 10 fun facts about homogenizers in the pharmaceutical industry.

1. Auguste Gaulin introduced the world’s first homogenizer at the Paris World’s Fair in 1900. The machine consisted of a 3-piston pump designed to push a combined stream of milk and cream through a set of tiny capillary tubes – an early version of a homogenizing valve.
2. In the 1960’s, the use of homogenizers began to spread beyond the dairy industry to include the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Available machine pressure ratings climbed to 8000 psi.
3. In the 1990’s, the bio-pharmaceutical industry began to require homogenizing pressures upwards of 10000 psi, encouraging innovation in the manufacture of homogenizers.
4. As the particle size of a pharmaceutical product is reduced, so the bioavailability increases.
5. DeBEE high pressure homogenizers can produce emulsions with particle sizes so small and uniform, that emulsions actually become clear because all droplets are smaller than 0.1 micron.
6. In the pharmaceutical industry, homogenization and other particle size reduction techniques are often referred to as “micronization.”
7. Pharmaceutical manufacturers prefer high pressure homogenization over conventional stirrers, mixers and colloid mills, as the resulting product is more stable.
8. High pressure homogenizers can significantly reduce the number of preservatives and stabilizers needed for the product.
9. DeBEE high pressure homogenizers can produce nano emulsions with particles so small and uniform, you can sterilize your products by simply running them through a 0.22 micron filter.
10. Homogenizers are used to produce hundreds of different kinds of pharmaceutical products, including:

• Ointments
• Antibiotics
• Topical creams and lotions
• Perfumes
• Cosmetics (e.g. foundations, nail varnishes)
• Liposome suspensions
• Soaps (liquid and bar)
• Medicinal syrups
• Enzymes
• Bacteria and Viruses
• Active pharmaceutical ingredients (API)
• Toothpaste
• Vitamins
• Shampoo

Learn more about how BEE International's High Pressure Homogenizers can benefit your pharmaceutical products by downloading our free eBook: “Advantages of BEE Homogenizers for the Pharmaceutical Industry”:

A colloid mill is a type of rotor-stator mixer often used in the manufacturing of emulsions and dispersions. It can also be used to reduce the particle size of solids in suspension. Inside the colloid mill, a high-speed rotor pushes the fluid through small holes in a stationary stator, creating extremely high levels of mechanical shear. The sizes of these holes or gaps is adjustable, so that the user can control the level of shear. The higher the shear, the smaller the resulting particle size.

Click here to see a colloid mill in action.

Colloid mills are used across many manufacturing industries, especially in the pharmaceutical, food and chemical industries. It is great for making small to medium-sized batches of product, which could include anything from toothpaste to peanut butter.

Colloid mills work well with highly viscous products, and some can even be used to grind fibrous materials, when fitted with a rough-surfaced rotor and stator. The major disadvantages of a colloid mill are that it is not suitable for continuous use, running it consumes a lot of energy, and there is a possibility of product contamination.

High Pressure Homogenizers

A high pressure homogenizer has a somewhat different mechanism of action, and also uses more than just one force. BEE International’s proprietary homogenizing cell technology drives the fluid at ultra high pressure through a small nozzle, causing cavitation. The fluid becomes a high velocity jet stream and flows through an absorption cell. This absorption cell contains alternating small and large orifices that create turbulence and cause fluid-on-fluid impact and shear. Process intensity is adjustable from 2,000 - 45,000 psi / 150 - 3100 bar. All of these forces are adjustable, allowing the user to optimize according to the desired end result.

High pressure homogenizers are able to produce very small, sub-micron particle sizes (<0.1 micron). In addition to particle size reduction, DeBEE high pressure homogenizers are also well suited to cell lysis. Adjustable forces allow for the gentle yet complete rupture of an array of different cell types, including E. coli, yeast, bacteria, mammalian tissue, insect and fungi cells.

Learn more about how BEE International's High Pressure Homogenizers can benefit your pharmaceutical products by contacting us today or downloading our free eBook: “Advantages of BEE Homogenizers for the Pharmaceutical Industry.”

Colloidal drug carriers, or colloidal carriers, effectively allow for the transportation of a loaded drug to the target site within the body. They are able to modify the distribution of an associated substance, allowing controlled release and site-specific delivery of drugs. This could improve the therapeutic index of these drugs by increasing their efficacy and/or by reducing their toxicity.

The efficacy of these colloidal carriers depends on their ability to remain within the blood circulation (controlled release system) or to reach target cells (e.g. the bone marrow). The drug distribution follows that of the carrier, rather than depending on the physicochemical properties of the drug itself. Colloidal drug carriers can include liposomes, niosomes, nanospheres, multiple emulsions and ceramics.

Click here for a great read on colloidal carriers.

Increasing the Bioavailability of Active Ingredients  

Bioavailability refers to the fraction of administered drug that reaches the blood circulation. It can range from 0% to 100% (i.e. in intravenous drugs).

Particle size plays an important role in bioavailability and the dissolution rate of a drug. BEE International is experienced with every aspect of particle size reduction, meaning we can produce a homogenous mix of particles that are smaller, more uniform, and therefore more bioavailable. 

Our high pressure homogenizers are capable of producing nano / micro emulsions and dispersions, lipids and suspensions for injectables, vaccines, targeted drug delivery, inhalants, time release, anesthetics and antibiotics. Your emulsions will be stable, with a longer shelf life, and have increased efficacy and potential for controlled release. Our high pressure homogenizers feature sanitary design and features like validation procedures and documentation, data gathering, SCADA, automated CIP – ideal for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Our pharmaceutical process equipment produces unprecedented results by allowing the formulations expert to optimize the mixing process to better suit product characteristics. Our technology is capable of producing nanoemulsions with particle sizes on or below 100 nm. Particle size becomes so small and uniform that emulsions become clear as all droplets are smaller than 0.1 micron.

We have created our line of DeBEE high pressure homogenizers with the pharmaceutical industry in mind. Our equipment is simply the most efficient processing equipment available for particle size reduction and emulsification. Contact us today for more information. Learn more about how our high pressure homogenizers can benefit your products by downloading our free eBook, “Advantages of BEE Homogenizers for the Pharmaceutical Industry”: