TALC

In the pharmaceutical industry, talcum powder has a wide and long history of use. It is often used as a lubricant and diluent in oral solid preparations such as tablets and capsules. At the same time, talcum powder is also included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as a diuretic, anti-stranguria, and heat-clearing and summer-heat-relieving traditional Chinese medicine. As a commonly used mineral medicine, talcum powder is made from natural hydrated silicate ores through a series of processes such as crushing, hydrochloric acid treatment, water washing, and drying. This article mainly introduces the application of medical talcum powder in the preparation process and its application as a pharmaceutical excipient. Application of medical talcum powder in the preparation process 1 Used as a dispersant for volatile oils Talcum powder has a certain adsorption capacity, which can adsorb volatile oils onto the surface of its particles and evenly disperse them, and increase the solubility of volatile oils by increasing the contact area between volatile oils and liquid medicines.     2 Used as powder coating layer In sugar coating, talcum powder can be used for powder coating layer. White talcum powder that passes through a 100-mesh sieve is suitable. The dosage is generally 3%~6%. It can not only eliminate edges and corners and facilitate coating, but also improve the stability of sugar-coated tablets. When transitioning from powder coating to sugar coating layer, pay attention to the dosage of talcum powder and syrup, and the amount of talcum powder is gradually reduced.     3 Used as a lubricant At present, talcum powder is often used as a lubricant in the prescriptions of dispersible tablets, capsules, chewable tablets, effervescent tablets, and sustained-release tablets. Talcum powder can fill the depressions on the surface of drug powders, thereby reducing the friction between drug powders and improving the fluidity of drug powders. When talcum powder is used as a lubricant, the dosage is generally 0.1%~3%, and should not exceed 5% at most.     4 Used as a filter aid Talcum powder is not easy to react with drugs and has a certain adsorption capacity, so it can be used as a filter aid. After 115℃ activation, talcum powder can be added to the liquid medicine while hot to absorb a small amount of polysaccharide, mucus, and gum impurities, and will hardly destroy the active ingredients of the medicine itself. It should be noted that talcum powder is very fine and difficult to filter.   Application of medical talcum powder as a pharmaceutical excipient 1 Used as a disintegrant for hydrophobic drugsAfter talcum powder is added to the medicine, it can improve the hydrophilicity of the entire medicine because it is a hydrophilic substance, so that water can easily penetrate the medicine and disintegrate. Therefore, talcum powder can be used as a disintegrant to shorten the disintegration time of the medicine, especially hydrophobic drugs.   2 Used as an anti-sticking agentThe stickiness problem is a common problem in the coating process, which will lead to slow coating speed, longer production cycle, pellet adhesion, reduced yield, film damage, and affect drug release. The addition of talcum powder can improve the adhesion of the drug during the release process.   3 Increase the critical relative humidity of the drugFor drugs that are easy to absorb moisture, talcum powder can be added to the prescription to improve the stability of the drug. After adding talcum powder to the anti-inflammation granules, the critical relative humidity of the drug increases, and the product is not prone to moisture absorption during production and storage.   4 Influence on drug releaseIt has been reported in the literature that insoluble particles in functional coating prescriptions will affect drug release characteristics, but the results and mechanisms of action are different. Studies have found that when coating with acrylic acid, the increase in the amount of talcum powder will lead to faster release of theophylline. The reason may be that talcum powder is in a clumping state in the coating film, which increases its internal stress.   Summary In the pharmaceutical and food industry, various medical studies have proven the medicinal and edible value of talcum powder, which can be used for addition and modification. As the application exploration of medical talcum powder continues to deepen, there may be more applications of this substance in pharmacy in the future.

THURSDAY, June 13, 2024 -- Johnson & Johnson will pay $700 million to settle claims from 42 states and the District of Columbia that the company continued to market its talcum powder products even as evidence tied them to a heightened risk for cancer. J&J did not admit to any wrongdoing in settling with the states, which were led by Florida, Texas and North Carolina. “We have reached a landmark settlement with Johnson & Johnson ensuring that the company will abide by the law and take effective steps to protect consumers from potentially hazardous ingredients,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement released Tuesday. “I’m proud to lead this coalition of 43 attorneys general to stand up for consumers’ health and truth in marketing.” As part of the settlement, which still needs judicial approval, the company has stopped making, promoting and selling all of its products that contain talcum powder. That includes Johnson's Baby Powder and Johnson & Johnson's Shower to Shower. J&J will make four settlement payments, starting at the end of July, according to the settlement. “This is a major advancement for consumer product safety, as Johnson & Johnson has stopped the manufacturing and marketing of products containing talc powder -- which may be linked to serious health issues, including cancer,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement . "Companies cannot deceive people about the safety of the products they are selling,” North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said in a statement . “People need to have accurate information so they can buy the right products for their health.” J&J stopped selling talcum-based baby powder globally last year, switching to corn starch as the main ingredient. The company still faces tens of thousands of talc lawsuits, and a class action lawsuit accuses company of hiding the dangers of talcum powder from shareholders, Reuters reported. As of March 31, more than 61,000 were still suing J&J over talcum powder products. Most are women with ovarian cancer, while a smaller number had mesothelioma, a type of cancer linked to asbestos exposure, Reuters reported. On May 1, J&J proposed a $6.48 billion settlement to resolve most of the litigation through a third bankruptcy filing. It has set aside an $11 billion reserve to cover all talc liabilities, Reuters reported. “The company continues to pursue several paths to achieve a comprehensive and final resolution of the talc litigation,” Erik Haas , J&J's worldwide vice president of litigation, said in a statement . Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.