Asahi Kasei has announced the expansion of its healthcare materials portfolio with the launch of two new specialty grades in its Sonanos™ excipient line. Paid samples are currently available, and products manufactured in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards are scheduled for sale in 2027. Sonanos™ is a next-generation excipient designed to improve the formulation of injectable drugs. The launch aligns with the company’s long-term growth strategy to strengthen its position in the pharmaceutical materials market.
Global demand for biologics, peptides, and oncology therapies continues to increase, creating challenges for pharmaceutical companies in formulation, drug persistence, and delivery. Sonanos™ is designed to address these needs by enabling sustained release and enhanced solubility, supporting the development of long-acting injectables and formulations for poorly water-soluble compounds. Since 2020, Asahi Kasei has collaborated with global pharmaceutical companies on more than 60 feasibility studies using Sonanos™ samples. Based on these studies, the company introduced two new specialty grades—Sonanos™ PG, optimised for sustained release of biologics and peptides with patient-friendly dosing, and Sonanos™ DS, designed to enhance solubility of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Both grades were developed through extensive optimisation, including the ability to encapsulate higher concentrations of active ingredients.
Samples of both grades with guaranteed analytical values are now available for nonclinical development. Asahi Kasei plans to supply GMP-compliant products in 2027, adhering to international guidelines for pharmaceutical excipients and impurities, required for clinical development. “Sonanos™ represents a significant step forward for our organisation and healthcare focus,” said Hideyuki Kimura, Senior General Manager of Asahi Kasei’s Healthcare Materials Division. “This expanded lineup of our excipient products deepens Asahi Kasei’s role in the pharmaceutical industry through critical excipient offerings that address customer needs in novel ways.”
Sonanos™ technology is also progressing through Asahi Kasei’s spin-out venture, DiveRadGel Inc., which applies the platform to cancer vaccine development. The vaccine-grade version, Sonanos™ DV, has entered GMP production to support early-stage clinical trials.
Asahi Kasei’s Healthcare Materials Division also offers microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) excipients such as Ceolus™ and Celphere™. Sonanos™, along with these MCC products, will be showcased at AAPS 2025 PharmSci 360 in San Antonio, Texas, USA, from November 10–12, at booth #3443. During the event, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, from Asahi Kasei’s New Product Development Office, Healthcare Materials Division, will present “Hyaluronic Acid Nanogel: A Next-Generation Excipient for Injectable Formulations to Prolong Drug Release and Enhance API Solubility” on November 11 at 12:30 p.m. (local time) in Exhibit Hall, Stage C.