Lamellar clays are widely used both as active ingredients and excipients. They are used as antacid and antipepsinic, as absorbers to eliminate the excess of water (e.g. Antidiarrheal), as skin protectors against external physical or chemical agents, for dermatological treatment in order to relieve pain caused by trauma or inflammation.

As excipient, clays are used to improve the physical and chemical properties of formulations, such as taste, odour and colour. They are used as lubricants and dispersive agents for active ingredients, but also as gelling, viscosizing and stabilizing for emulsions avoiding the segregation of the components of pharmaceutical formulations. In addition to these traditional applications, lamellar clays can be used as carriers, protective matrices and modified release systems of active ingredients for the development of innovative, safest and most effective pharmaceutical formulations.

Thanks to the intercalation of the active molecules in the interlayer region, important advantages can be achieved such as controlled release, protection (photochemical degradation, thermal, oxidation), improved solubility, dispersion capacity of the active ingredients and target delivery formulations.

Good water solubility of the active ingredient is a crucial parameter to optimize bioavailability, especially for drugs of Class II and IV of BSC (low solubility = class II, low solubility and low permeability = class IV). The water solubility is directly related to the effective dose released and to side effects. For this reason, Prolabin & Tefarm has developed a new and patented technology for the production of effective topical compositions for poorly soluble active ingredients.

In general, the use of biocompatible lamellar clays in pharmaceutical formulations provides exceptional advantages such as easy preparation, excellent rate cost-effectiveness, high stability and solubility/dispersion of the active substance, improved safety and efficacy of the release.