Throughout history, humans have sought to ‘encapsulate’ time, preserving pieces of the present for the future.
Credit for the term ‘time capsules’ is largely given to editor-turned-public-relations specialist George Pendray, who proposed the idea of burying a cross-section of contemporary time in a metal tube as part of a publicity campaign for the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
The idea, however, was borrowed. Back when Pendray was an editor, he had interviewed the president of Oglethorpe University, Thornwell Jacobs, who was devising plans to create the ‘Crypt of Civilization’ — a swimming pool-sized chamber containing items of the time, sealed in the basement of the Atlanta-based university.
There is evidence that the practice dates back even further. Boxes hidden inside statues and artifacts in the 1700s have been unearthed around the world, containing things like coins, documents and newspapers. During Victorian times, it became popular to seal a box of mementos into the cornerstones of new buildings during construction.
These efforts, all conceptually similar, aimed to commemorate a particular era by freezing time in a vessel.
But when it comes to drug capsules — first patented in 1834 but likely invented much earlier, like the time capsule concept — innovation has been anything but time-locked. In fact, the longevity of the dosage form owes itself to steady advancements in technology.
The single-piece gelatin capsules sealed with gelatin, first patented by French pharmacy student Franciosi Achille Barnabe Mothes, soon gave way to hard-shell gelatin capsules, which quickly became the norm. These capsules had numerous advantages, including ease of consumption, the ability to mask unpleasant tastes and odors, and versatility in delivering various formulation types.
The advent of high-speed, automated filling equipment and the incorporation of quality control features into these machines allowed companies to meet escalating product demands and uphold strict quality standards.
Innovations in polymer-based technologies have led to the emergence of alternatives to traditional gelatin capsules, such as capsules made from HPMC or pullulan. These new capsules can overcome some of gelatin’s drawbacks, such as temperature and humidity sensitivities, improving product stability and shelf life. New shell materials have also helped meet the needs of those with dietary restrictions, such as vegetarians.
As you will read in our most recent issue, today’s capsules can deliver tailored solutions to meet diverse formulations and patient demands. And, unlike the toothbrush sealed inside the Westinghouse copper-alloy capsule, drug capsules have proven to be anything but trapped in time.