Pharmaceutical Powder Flow Characterization: Small Volume Testing Needed

There is a saying: Go big or go home. But not when dealing with sample testing of pharmaceutical powders. Then the saying is: Waste not, want not. In the cutthroat world of Big Pharma, staying one step ahead of the competition is imperative. Research to create the next new drug is a costly endeavor. Once a new product is developed, speed to market is the next challenge. This is where the complexity of the production phase comes into play and the necessity for accurate sample testing arises. Profit in pharma is made by producing tablets or capsules quickly and accurately; production speeds of 50mS a tablet is not unheard of. To ensure there is minimal downtime during production, the product needs to be characterized for flow properties

So what to do? Rely on subjective tests with a minimal amount of test sample and risk a costly, faulty production run? Or use more volume of expensive test sample and get accurate data for the production cycle?