Microcapsules are an imperceptible solution to noticeable problems.

Microencapsulation is a complex technique that involves incorporating active compounds – liquids, solids or gases – in tiny protective spheres (microcapsules) having an average diameter as small as Ø 0.5 to 10 µm. The microcapsules look like powder to the naked eye. The coating (shell), which is smaller than the width of human hair, creates a barrier isolating and protecting active compounds from the external environment.

We offer more than just simple microcapsules. We pioneered programmed-shell microcapsules with controlled and targeted drug release functions, bringing efficacy to an entirely different level. We programme the microcapsule shells to enable the controlled release of encapsulated substances – release at the right place and at the right time, and under certain conditions to suit specific needs. Our disruptive technology based on polyelectrolyte multi-layered composite microcapsules is a game-changer.

Our coaxial electrospray technology is the most technologically advanced microencapsulation solution.

Different microencapsulation techniques are currently available on the market. They include emulsion spray-drying, microemulsification, liposomal and microfluidic microencapsulation. However, the widespread emulsion spray-drying and microemulsification techniques are technologically limited solutions, producing emulsion microdroplets with no shells, which are technically not microcapsules. The lack of shells makes the controlled release impossible. The emulsification process also limits the choice of active substances.

Liposomes and microfluidic solutions are more advanced options. However, liposomes are highly unstable and expensive, and the choice of active substances is limited. While microfluidic technology allows for flexible microcapsule design with programmed shells, it is a costly technique, making it difficult to use beyond research purposes

Our coaxial electrospray technology microencapsulation technology combines the best of all the available techniques. It is as advanced as microfluidics but with costs and productivity similar to the basic emulsion spray-drying technology.

Compared to the existing technologies, our programmed-shell microcapsules

• create a physical barrier, isolating active substances from the environment and protecting from the stomach’s acidity
• are highly stable compared to liposomes
• can contain practically any substance
• provide unique functionality in the form of controlled and targeted release functions
• use readily-available polymers
• are a cost-effective solution

We bring microencapsulation to the next level. We can precisely programme the release time of active substances, offering enhanced functionality and achieving efficacy at an entirely different level. We offer real microcapsules, where active substances are placed inside tiny spheres with programmed shells, providing protection from the external environment and allowing their controlled and targeted release. Such competitive advantages are the result of our long-standing experience and leading position in scientific research.

Our advanced microencapsulation technology produces programmed-shell microcapsules with a complex shell design that can open and release active substances according to predefined scenarios:

We ensure the controlled release by varying polymers’ composition, density, and shell thickness. The selection of the appropriate shell material will depend on the objectives and specific requirements, the final application of the product taking into consideration required microparticle size, properties of active compounds, environmental conditions, the required stability and release mechanism and manufacturing costs.

Our technology produces microcapsules of various sizes (Ø 0.5 to 10 µm). While the microcapsules offered today on the market often vary significantly in size, our technology produces uniform microcapsules with much smaller variations in size.

We can make the shells mono- or multi-layered, depending on technological needs. We can also make them non-allergenic, tasteless, odourless, and 100% natural to satisfy the specific needs of vegetarians, vegans and people with allergies.

The production costs are mainly determined by the price of raw materials (polymers, encapsulated active substances) and represent a fraction of the final price of the product. Our microencapsulation technology is a low-cost solution.

The sustained (slow) of active substances is not new to the market. But the release at a defined point in time is a very complex task. None of the existing technologies can do that. Our technology can. We achieve the opening of microcapsules and the release of active substances at the required time of the day.

We can also programme the microcapsule opening triggered by changes in the environment or by external stimuli:

• Release triggered by changes in the environment, such as pH, ionic strength (salinity), solvent polarity, and temperature.
• Release triggered by a cancer-specific environment. We designed smart microcapsules that open and release drugs in cancer cells, but not in stem cells.
• Release triggered by external stimuli, for example, ultrasound or near-infrared light.

• Delivery of genetic material into cells (CAR T-cell therapy, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing). Our technology can be used for non-viral delivery of genetic material to hard-to-transfect primary T lymphocytes and other cell types.
• Drug delivery to cancer cells using mesenchymal stem cells. Our technology enables targeted drug delivery to tumours by loading human mesenchymal stem cells with microcapsules carrying anticancer drugs.
• Our microcapsules can also be magnetically targeted to a specific site of the body.

Our patented coaxial electrospray technology produces micron- and submicron structures of a given geometry (spheres, fibres). To produce microcapsules, an active substance enters through the inner tube, and a shell through the outer tube. Both are combined on the exit, resulting in the controlled process of microencapsulation. This technique enables us to encapsulate a wide range of active substances and achieve the required properties of the final product.

The production capacity of one industrial unit ranges from several kilos to several tons of microcapsules per month.