Through combining Micropore Technologies’ patented AXF technology - providing high-precision particle engineering - with seamless scale-up configuration, HORIZON is designed to address the core operational challenges of industrial encapsulation. By providing process engineers who require absolute consistency a uniquely reliable pathway to high-volume production, the new systems enable precise particle engineering from the first pilot run through to full-scale commercial delivery.
HORIZON’s flexible architecture allows contract houses to scale production capacity seamlessly without the need for time-consuming process redesigns, simply allowing operators to integrate larger vessels into the existing configuration. By maintaining controlled droplet formation across a wide range of flow rates, the platform ensures that the high-quality encapsulation standards required by clients are met with every batch, regardless of the production volume.
The systems are designed to maximise operational efficiency and withstand the rigours of continuous industrial use, significantly reducing the operational burden on maintenance teams. The use of low-fouling stainless-steel membranes ensures long-term performance and minimizes the frequency of cleaning and replacement. This robust construction, paired with a high-efficiency design, provides a high-uptime solution that protects contract margins and allows for rapid, reliable changeovers between diverse client programmes.
The HORIZON range is available in two Standard Systems: the HORIZON mini, a compact system supporting development and pilot-scale production, and the HORIZON one, an industrial-scale system designed for higher throughput applications. For specific production or regulatory requirements, Micropore offers the HORIZON PRO, a bespoke build which can be custom designed.
Kay Hussain, CEO at Micropore Technologies, said: “The launch of the HORIZON range marks a fundamental shift in how complex formulations will move from the laboratory to production. By integrating our core AXF technology into an automated solution, we are further simplifying our customers’ journey from R&D to commercial scale.
Kay Hussain, CEO at Micropore Technologies, said:
“One of the most significant steps in emulsion based encapsulation processes is the control, repeatability and reproducibility of the emulsification step. This has a profound influence on downstream processing, and final product performance. Particle size is a driver of capsule wall thickness and therefore mechanical stability, reducing the coefficient of variation in particle size, gives a more consistent and predictable capsule break strength, (or rate of release in microspheres), fewer QC rejections and the inherent cost savings that come with it.”
The CMC Lead at a North American CDMO, said: “This is going to be the state of the art in microsphere manufacturing”.
As part of a collaborative Innovate UK-funded project focused on accelerating intracellular drug delivery, HORIZON systems were evaluated for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation and scale-up.*
Dr. Midhun Ben Thomas, Senior Scientist and Tech Lead at CPI, said: “The HORIZON mini was used extensively in our RAP-IDD project and it generated monodispersed PolyA-LNP formulations with consistent CQAs across all experimental conditions. It performed flawlessly across a wide range of sample volumes, from 10mL to 10L, and delivered excellent results with diverse ionizable lipids, such as SM102, DLin-MC3-DMA and ALC-0315.
“The combination of scalability, robustness, and formulation consistency will make the HORIZON mini an invaluable asset for industrial production. It will enable seamless scale-up from early-stage development to commercial manufacturing, eliminating the need for process re-optimisation and ensuring consistent CQAs from bench-top to production scale.”