Troubleshooting and FAQs for StarLac®, a blend of lactose and starch

StarLac® is comprised of 85% lactose monohydrate and 15% maize starch, extra white.

StarLac® is a spray-dried agglomerated combination of lactose monohydrate and extra white maize starch. The coprocessed StarLac® has superior properties for direct compression as compared to a basic physical blend. The advantages include: better flow, no segregation, less lubricant required, improved disintegration, stability and consistency in tableting.

Changing a wet granulation process into a direct compression process is desirable for cost-savings and productivity. However, the chance of success is dependent on several formulation factors including both the API and the excipients. In some cases, using a coprocessed directly compressible excipient like StarLac® Lactose-Starch blend can help to eliminate the wet granulation step while maintaining a good tableting performance.

StarLac® was designed as a directly compressible excipient for tableting (e.g., herbal tablets). Its fast disintegration makes it a good candidate for orodispersible tablets. It is also a suitable filler in formulations for hard capsule filling and roller compaction.

The presence of starch in StarLac® provides some self-lubricating properties. For common lubricants like magnesium stearate and sodium stearyl fumarate, typically only 0.3% to 0.5% of lubricant is needed in formulation. For glyceryl dibehenate, 0.7% to 0.8% of lubricant is required.