One of the questions we are asked most by our clients is which capsule technology we would recommend they use. The two main capsule technologies available, which offer enteric protection, are enteric capsule shells and enteric-coated capsules.

Both enteric capsules and enteric-coated capsules are commercially available and both claim to deliver drug substances into the small intestine unharmed by the harsh acidic conditions of the human stomach. The main issue with the enteric protection of capsules is the lack of clarity with respect to in vivo performance: in vitro capsule performance; can be interpreted several ways at face value and shown to perform adequately, however, in vivo, this might not be true.