Skip to content
Rglax Pharma

The polymers behind a coating system

A ready-mix hides the chemistry, which is convenient until your filing names a polymer. This is what sits underneath each of our ranges.

Enteric, delayed release

Methacrylic acid copolymer

Also written as methacrylic base, acrylic enteric polymer

Methacrylic acid copolymers stay intact in the stomach and dissolve once pH rises in the intestine. They carry most of the enteric range because they can be applied from either a solvent or a water base, which lets the same polymer family serve cores that can and cannot tolerate an aqueous process.

Enteric, delayed release

Cellulose acetate phthalate

Also written as CAP, CAP base

CAP is the older of the enteric polymers and is still named in many filings. Where your dossier specifies a CAP film, the methacrylic route is not a substitution you can make without a change control, which is why we hold a CAP grade for the same actives.

Enteric, delayed release

Phthalate base polymer

Also written as HPMC phthalate, phthalate enteric polymer

A phthalate base governs release differently from a methacrylic film, so a dissolution profile developed on one does not carry across to the other. Confirm the acid stage and the buffer stage on the first trial batch.

Immediate release film, seal, sugar film

Hypromellose

Also written as HPMC, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

HPMC is the workhorse of immediate release film coating. It forms a clear, tough film at low build-up, takes pigment well and does not delay release, which is why it underpins both the moisture barrier range and the sugar film coat.

Hypromellose in detail1 grade on this base

Moisture barrier, immediate release

Polyvinyl alcohol

Also written as PVA

PVA films are less permeable to water vapour than HPMC at the same thickness, which is what makes a moisture barrier a barrier. Our moisture barrier grades are fully formulated HPMC and PVA based immediate release systems, so the protection does not come at the cost of release.

Polyvinyl alcohol in detail4 grades on this base

Grades whose polymer base is not listed here are not omitted by accident. We publish the base where it is part of the specification, and confirm the rest against your requirement directly. Ask us about a specific grade.

What these polymers produce

  • Metallic gold non-aqueous film coated caplets

    Metallic gold film coat

  • Metallic blue coated tablets beside an Rglax DB3012 coating dispersion

    Metallic blue DB3012

  • Orange film coated caplets with a break line

    Aqueous colour film coat

  • White film coated round tablets

    Extra white film coat

Call usWhatsApp