When most people think of steroids, images of elite athletes using synthetic hormones to gain a competitive advantage may come to mind. However, steroids – more often referred to as corticosteroids in medical circles – are often used to serve a very different purpose. There are numerous varieties of corticosteroid medications, including cortisone, methylprednisolone, and prednisone.
Steroids work by both reducing inflammation and decreasing immune system activity, and they are commonly used to treat a variety of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, asthma, and a host of other inflammatory ailments.
Steroids come in several different forms – local and systemic. The form of steroid used is dependent on the ailment that is being treated, as well as the desired outcome.
Local steroid medications are best suited for ailments where a targeted approach is desired. These types of steroids can be introduced directly to the area in question and include eye drops, ear drops, skin creams, and joint injections.
Systemic steroids are best suited for ailments that require treatment throughout the entire body. Systemic steroids circulate throughout the bloodstream and reach every area of the body. They include oral medications as well as medications that are delivered intravenously or intramuscularly.
For both local and systemic applications, homogenization is an important process step to consider in industries that manufacture steroid-containing topical creams, ointments, and intravenous drugs.
In all applications, the even dispersion of active ingredients is critical to ensuring efficacy and decreasing manufacturing costs. Oral medications, for example, require homogenization and micronization of particles to ensure consistency throughout the product. Similarly, systemic steroids require the use of a homogenizer to ensure even dispersion and dissolution of the particles that make up the active ingredients.
Pion's BEE brand offers a number of homogenizers that meet the needs of manufacturers across multiple industries, including cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biotech. Our homogenizers can meet the needs of virtually any environment – from small R&D settings and pilot plant operations all the way to 24/7 manufacturing environments.
For small sample sizes, as are often seen in laboratory and R&D settings, our Nano DeBEE is an excellent choice. This mechanical homogenizer uses multiple forces, including cavitation, turbulence, and pressure to create microscopic particles that can easily be dissolved in a variety of mediums, including liquids, creams, and organic solvents.
Contact us today to discuss the numerous benefits our homogenizers can offer to manufacturing your company's products.
