The trusted partner who provides solutions to accelerate the development of your long-acting injectable with microsphere feasibility solutions

Microsphere Feasibility Program for Long-Acting Injectables

Long-acting depot injections are high-value products that offer an appealing route to improved patient compliance and reduced administration frequency. These polymer-based systems enable delivery of both small and large molecules for weeks or months at a time.

If you are interested in developing a microparticle depot injection, then partner with the microparticle and microsphere development experts at Lubrizol Life Science Health.

A leader in long-acting drug delivery solutions

Long-acting depot injections, including those containing bioabsorbable microparticles, are an area of growing interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Well-designed microparticles enable encapsulation of large quantities of API for parenteral or ophthalmic delivery over extended timeframes.

LLS Health is a leading solutions provider for long-acting injectables, and we are uniquely equipped to address the complex design, development, and manufacturing challenges that accompany microparticle-based formulations and microparticle preparation methods. We’ve established a partnership with Micropore Technologies to offer their advanced membrane emulsification technology as part of this feasibility program and complete development/manufacturing projects.

Our seasoned staff has experience handling highly potent APIs (hormones, steroids, cytotoxics), controlled substances (Schedule I-V), and large molecules (proteins, peptides, nucleotides). We also understand the importance of polymer control and supply when designing bioabsorbable microparticles. To that end, we ‘ve established a partnership with Corbion to supply their industry-leading PURASORB® polymers for our program.

In just 12 weeks, our microsphere feasibility program allows us to:

Select Polymers for Screening

Develop a target product profile and design a screening study using best-in-class PURASORB® polymers.

Manufacture Microparticles

Generate small batches of microparticles containing your API using Micropore Technologies’ membrane emulsification approach or traditional homogenization.

Characterize Microparticles and Share Findings

Identify promising formulation(s) and determine a route forward for optimization and scale-up.

Why partner with LLS Health?

Long-acting injectable formulations are complex products that can take several forms, including microspheres and gel depots. LLS Health utilizes a range of manufacturing techniques and leverages strong relationships with polymer suppliers to design formulations that meet your target product profile. Whether your long-acting injectable is based on microsphere technology or another approach, we are a flexible, full-service partner equipped to take your project from early-stage development through commercial GMP production.

We have experience in GMP manufacturing to support complex drug products. We have manufactured several GMP batches of microspheres to support phase I and II clinical trials, and our new commercial manufacturing facility enables us to manufacture phase III registration batches and beyond.

We have a full suite of analytical capabilities for characterizing microspheres in-house. Our team is well-versed in analytical method development and validation, including in vitro release testing. We also offer a range of customizable ICH stability programs.


Connect with our Microparticle & Microsphere Experts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a microsphere?

Microspheres are bioresorbable, polymer-based particles that contain an API. They are typically manufactured from poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) polymers. Once injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly, microspheres degrade over weeks to months, releasing drug as they erode.

What is a long-acting depot injection?

A long-acting depot injection is a parenteral product, typically administered via subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, that forms a solid mass once injected. These products consist of bioresorbable, drug-loaded microspheres or gels that degrade over days to months at a time.

How are long-acting depot injections supplied?

Long-acting injectables based on microsphere technology are supplied as lyophilized powders for reconstitution. The freeze-dried powder is accompanied by a diluent for injection.

Why develop a long-acting injectable with microspheres?

Long-acting drug delivery systems offer the potential for targeted drug release, lower dosage requirements, and improved patient compliance by replacing daily pills or injections. Well-designed microspheres can be tailored to a specific API and application, leading to improved bioavailability, stability, and pharmacokinetics as well as intellectual property and life-cycle management opportunities.

Which long-acting injectables consist of microspheres today?

14 FDA-approved products consist of microspheres, including multiple blockbuster products—Lupron Depot®, Sandostatin® LAR, Risperdal Consta®, and others. The first microsphere product was approved by the FDA in 1989, but the technology remains relevant today, and several microsphere products have been approved since 2017. Microsphere products offer strong IP protection and long product lifecycles due to their complexity, making them an appealing option for new product development.

What kinds of APIs are amenable to microsphere technology? Can you load large molecules into microspheres?

Both small and large molecules—including proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids—have been encapsulated in polymeric microspheres. Highly potent compounds such as cytotoxic APIs are well-suited for microsphere technology.

Can you manufacture microspheres aseptically?

Microspheres are often terminally sterilized via gamma irradiation. However, in cases where an API is not amenable to terminal sterilization (such as a biologic), microparticle manufacturing can be performed aseptically. LLS Health has experience in both microsphere production and aseptic manufacturing techniques, offering a unique skill set for products containing large molecules or other fragile APIs.

Can you modify the polymer in microspheres?

Yes—polymer selection for microspheres is highly customizable. There are a number of commercially-available PLGA chemistries with varying molecular weights and LA:GA ratios that offer control over microsphere properties and drug release. If an off-the-shelf polymer does not meet your target product profile, we can leverage our strong relationship with Corbion to develop a custom solution.

How do you make microspheres?

Microspheres are typically produced via an emulsion-based process follow by solvent evaporation. Based on the properties of the API, such as hydrophobicity, a single- or double-emulsion process may be employed. Once the particles are created, a filtration step is used to segregate microspheres by size and achieve a tighter particle size distribution. These particles are then combined with other excipients, as appropriate, and lyophilized to obtain a powder for reconstitution and parenteral administration. We are currently evaluating new technologies to more efficiently manufacture and filter microspheres for our clients. This is part of our commitment to a broad technology portfolio that increase your odds of success.