Evonik develops biodegradable EUDRAGIT® excipient platform

What Evonik announced

Evonik is developing a biodegradable polymer platform that will form the basis for the next generation of its EUDRAGIT® functional excipients for oral drug delivery. The polymers are designed to combine a biodegradable end‑of‑life profile with performance comparable to current industry standards for solubility enhancement and delayed‑release coatings. Non‑commercial lab‑scale material is available for joint development projects with selected partners.

Performance and processing

EUDRAGIT® polymers are polymethacrylates used to achieve a wide range of release profiles, including immediate and delayed release, and some grades support solubility enhancement of poorly soluble APIs. The new biodegradable excipients are intended to deliver the same functionality formulators expect and remain compatible with common processing technologies such as hot melt extrusion and spray drying.

Sustainability and testing

Evonik positions sustainability as a design criterion alongside quality, efficacy and safety. “With the next generation of EUDRAGIT®, we are moving from measuring sustainability to actively engineering it,” said Thilo Krapfl, Head of Oral Drug Delivery Solutions, adding that this lets formulators choose functionality plus a biodegradable end‑of‑life profile while using existing equipment and methods. The new polymers meet biodegradability classification in standardized OECD 301 F and OECD 301 B tests (>60%).

Availability and presentation

Evonik will present the innovation at CPHI Milan on 7 October at 12:30 PM on the Sustainability Spotlight Stage 16F60. Material is currently offered only in lab‑scale, non‑commercial volumes for selected joint development collaborations.