Ethylcellulose (100 MPa.s)
Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)
What is Ethylcellulose (100 MPa.s)?
Ethylcellulose is a free-flowing, white to light tan powder used in the pharmaceutical and food manufacturing industries. It is prepared from wood pulp or cotton by treatment with alkali and ethylation of the alkali cellulose with ethyl chloride. Ethylcellulose is used in pharmaceutical industry as a coating agent, flavoring fixative, tablet binder and filler, and as a viscosity-increasing agent. Ethyl cellulose is also used in the food industry as an emulsifier.[1] [2]
There is very limited data detailing possible side effects of ethylcellulose; however it is included in the FDA generally regarded as safe (GRAS) Database of Substances (SCOGS) Reviews.[3]
[1] Dave RH. Overview of pharmaceutical excipients used in tablets and capsules. Drug Topics (online). Advanstar. 10/24/2008 http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/Top+News/Overview-of-pharmaceutical-excipients-used-in-tabl/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/561047. Accessed 08/19/2011
[2] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States. Prepared at the 26th JECFA (1982), published in FNP 25 ( 1982) and FNP. 52 (1992). Accessed March 31, 2012. Ethylcellulose. http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/jecfa-additives/specs/Monograph1/Additive-178.pdf
FDA’s SCOGS database; Ethylcellulose; SCOGS-Report Number: 25; http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=365 Accessed March 31, http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=119
Top Medications Containing Ethylcellulose (100 MPa.s)
- Aplenzin 348 mg (Sanofi-Aventis)
- Aplenzin 522 mg (Sanofi-Aventis)
- Aplenzin 174 mg (Sanofi-Aventis)
- Clarinex-D 24 Hour 5 mg / 240 mg (Schering-Plough Corporation)
- Copegus 200 mg (Roche Laboratories)
- Dexedrine Spansule 10 mg (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Dexedrine Spansule 15 mg (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Dexedrine Spansule 5 mg (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Effexor XR 75 mg (Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories)
- Effexor XR 150 mg (Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories)
- Effexor XR 37.5 mg (Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories)
- Lamictal ODT 25 mg (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Lamictal ODT 100 mg (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Lamictal ODT 50 mg (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Micro-K 8 mEq (Ther-RX)
- Micro-K 10 10 mEq (Ther-RX)
- Uroxatral 10 mg (Sanofi-Aventis)
