This week, SpeakPharma interviews Ella Qu, General Manager & Director at China-headquartered Boai NKY Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of polypyrrolidone (PVP) and PVM/MA copolymer. While PVP is extensively used in the pharmaceutical industry as a binder in tablet manufacturing, PVM/MA copolymer is widely used in the cosmetic industry. In this interview, Ms. Qu talks about the company’s history, its product range and commitment to adopting green manufacturing practices.Can you tell us a bit about Boai NKY Pharma — its genesis, specializations and growth trajectory?Boai NKY Pharmaceuticals
Limited was established in 1987. Back then, it was the first domestic company to develop and manufacture polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a versatile ingredient used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In 2003, we got converted into a shareholding company.Innovation has
been key to our growth strategy. In 2008, we researched and developed PVM/MA
copolymer products. PVM/MA copolymer is an ingredient commonly used in oral
care products such as denture adhesive, toothpaste, and can also be used in
pharmaceutical applications.During the same
period, we set up Tianjin Boai NKY International Limited, a whole share
subsidiary company of Boai NKY. It operates all our international business.In 2010, we were
publicly listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. In 2015, we were certified by
EXCiPACT GMP, a certification accepted by all major regulators around the
world. In fact, we were the first manufacturer in China to obtain this
certification. And in May this year, NKY Pharma became one of the largest PVP
producers in the world and one of the largest producers of PVM/MA products in
the world.What have been the reasons behind this
success?NKY Pharma has
always been dedicated to research and development. We have continuously worked
towards introducing professionals in our company, and have strived to improve
quality, to provide better service, to be more transparent and open to our
customers.I attribute our success
to these factors, and to our customers. Our aim has always been to establish
mutually beneficial partner relationships. Going forward, our strong customer
support coupled with our development in products and processes will stand us in
good stead.How are you addressing the needs of
customers spread across continents?Boai NKY Pharma
has established its subsidiaries in Europe and the US. With the setting up of
branch offices and warehouses, Boai NKY Pharma is able to communicate with its
customers in a timely and effective manner.Could you provide more information about
your product line, particularly KoVidone® and PolyKoVidone® lines of pharmaceutical excipients?KoVidone® and PolyKoVidone® polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) are widely used in the pharmaceutical
field as excipients and are suitable for a broad range of dosage forms. KoVidone® K series products possess excellent
binding, film-forming, dispersing and thickening properties and are widely used
in the following dosage forms:• As a binder: These products are suitable for wet and dry granulation and direct compression in tableting. KoVidone® K improves particle compressibility and
can be added to powder blends in dry or granulated forms through the addition
of water, alcohol or hydro-alcoholic solutions.• As a solubilizer: These products are suitable for oral and parenteral formulations, enhancing the solubility of poorly soluble drugs in solid dispersion forms.• As a coating agent or binder: These products are suitable for coating of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).• As a suspending, stabilizing or viscosity-modifying agent: These products are suitable for topical and oral suspension and solution applications. The solubility of poorly soluble drugs can be enhanced through the use of KoVidone®.KoVidone® also works as a
viscosity modifier in tablet coatings. The addition of KoVidone® K30 to HPMC (hydroxypropyl
methylcellulose) formulated film coating solutions can effectively reduce the
viscosity of the HPMC solution while not affecting the resultant hydration
profile of the resultant film.PolyKoVidone® possesses dual
binding and disintegration properties, and enhances active solubilization. The
product is used in the following applications: • Super disintegrant: Due to its excellent swelling characteristics in water, PolyKoVidone® can be used as a water-insoluble
disintegrant for wet and dry granulation processes. The material can be added
either before or after granulation in direct compression tableting processes.
It exhibits high capillary activity and pronounced hydration capacity, without
the formation of gel.• Solubility enhancer: PolyKovidone® increases the solubility of poorly
soluble drugs via co-evaporation processes.• Suspension stabilizer: PolyKoVidone® increases viscosity and improves the
dispersion properties to reduce the sedimentation rate of drugs, while
increasing the re-dispersibility of said sediment. It is suitable for liquid
and instant oral preparations.• Complexing agent of drug ingredients: PolyKoVidone® stabilizes
active ingredients in pharmaceutical products, thereby improving drug
solubility and bioavailability.How is Boai NKY Pharma committed to the
development of green production processes?As a young company, the top management of Boai NKY Pharma has laid out a long-term planning and development strategy. We follow all environmental compliances mandated by the government.We are working
towards making our production processes green through ways such as real time
monitoring of waste streams, 100 percent recycling of processing water, and by
switching from coal to natural gas.We are working with associations that are dedicated to sustainable development. Our growth and developmental goals will always be aligned with our commitment to environmental sustainability.