VivaPur MCG is an excipient containing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and carboxymethylcellulose sodium which is designed to covercome one of the main problems with MCC - its tendency to settle out after mixing. The excipient is a real workhorse and is used in just about every solid dosage form on the market, but is notoriously insoluble which can create processing problems.
The latest addition to JRS Pharma's VivaPur range, VivaPur MCG, is water dispersible, the result of its colloidal form of MCC and the addition carboxymethylcellulose sodium that forms a hydrocolloid in suspension and acts as a stabiliser. This combination keeps the excipient in suspension - or in an emulsion - for much longer than conventional forms of MCC.
The product is suitable for use in hot and cold water, can be heat-treated without losing its stability, is pH stable, easy to disperse in a powder and has good flowability, according to JRS Pharma.
A spokesman for the company claimed that JRS Pharma now has the leading position in the world market for MCC, having overtaken arch-rival FMC Biopolymer. The German firm's position has been consolidated by its 2003 acquisition of Penwest Pharmaceuticals' excipients business, which brought in the Prosolv (MCC plus colloidal silicon dioxide) product line.