Somerset's Catalent helps pharma make pills easier to swallow

Just about everyone has heard of Advil Liqui-Gels, but less well known is the company responsible for the softgel technology behind the product.

Somerset-based Catalent Pharma Solutions developed the Liquid-Gel technology, which makes pills easier to swallow and faster-acting. It's one of many drug-delivery methods created in the company's labs and deployed throughout the pharmacy aisle.

In addition to drug delivery technologies, the company offers a range of drug development and manufacturing services to its drug-industry clients.

Catalent invited NJBIZ and other reporters for a tour of its headquarters Wednesday. The company has 30 facilities in more than a dozen countries. Their Somerset facility employs about 420 people. The headquarters houses both its administrative offices and a manufacturing operation.

Catalent recently closed on its purchase of Aptuit LLC's clinical trial supply business, a $410 million deal that added about 225 New Jersey employees to the firm's payroll.

Cornell Stamoran, the Catalent's vice president for strategy and corporate development, said the company has played some role in half of the new drugs approved since 2006, and 75 percent of the 200 top-selling compounds.

Other Catalent technologies include controlled release formulations and fast-dissolve tablets. Stamoran said the goal isn't just to give drug companies and consumers more options, but more importantly to come up with technologies that work better or make it easier for patients to comply with their dosing regimens.

"The technology only matters if it changes an outcome for a patient," he said.