Hot-Melt Extrusion for Pharmaceutical Applications Technology for Solubility, Scale-Up, and Novel Dosage Forms

Pharmaceutical development increasingly depends on technologies that can overcome solubility challenges, enable novel delivery forms, and scale reliably from R&D to GMP manufacturing. Hot-melt extrusion HME) is one of the most effective approaches to meet these needs. 

In this webinar, we will explore the fundamentals of HME in pharmaceutical applications, with a focus on how the technology improves drug solubility and supports the development of dosage forms like tablets, films, and implants. We will also discuss practical considerations for scaling extrusion processes — from laboratory instruments to pilot and production-scale systems. 

Attendees will gain both a scientific and technology-focused understanding of how extrusion can reduce risk, speed development, and deliver robust results — helping pharmaceutical teams advance molecules efficiently from the bench to the patient. 

Key Learning Objectives 

• Describe how hot-melt extrusion addresses poor API solubility and stability. 
• Recognize dosage forms enabled by extrusion, including tablets, orally dispersible films,  and implants.
• Compare scale-up and scale-out strategies, and how technology selection supports GMP manufacturing. 

Speaker:  Dr. Margarethe Richter, Pharma Application Specialist, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dr. Margarethe Richter is a Pharma Application Specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where she develops pharmaceutical hot[1] melt extrusion and twin-screw granulation applications to improve drug solubility, bioavailability, and formulation scalability. She earned a PhD in Engineering from the German Aerospace Center, focusing on thermodynamics and reaction kinetics, and a degree in Chemical Engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Her research and application work includes hot-melt extrusion for pharmaceutical applications, pharmaceutical 3D printing filament production, twin-screw granulation and dry amorphization of drugs. With extensive publications and expertise in material characterization and process development, Dr. Richter is recognized for advancing innovative pharmaceutical production technologies.

Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific