Immediate release film, seal, sugar film
Hypromellose
Also written as HPMC, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.
Written by the Rglax Pharma technical team, who formulate and manufacture every grade named on this guide at our WHO-GMP works in Tahliwal, Una (drug manufacturing licence NNZ/23/238). Reviewed 3 September 2026. Licences and certificates.
What it is
HPMC is the workhorse of immediate release film coating. It forms a clear, tough film at low build-up, takes pigment well and does not delay release, which is why it underpins both the moisture barrier range and the sugar film coat.
What it does in the film
HPMC forms a clear, tough, water soluble film at low build-up. It does not delay release, so whatever the core does uncoated it does coated. It also takes pigment well, which is why colour and opacity work is done on an HPMC base.
When to choose it
Any immediate release film coat, and as the carrier under a sugar film finish. If the requirement is covering, protecting and colouring without touching the release profile, this is the polymer.
How it runs on the coater
The film coating band. Aqueous runs at 35 to 40 degrees at the bed against a 75 to 80 degree inlet, non-aqueous cooler at 30 to 35 against 60 to 65.
- Role
- Immediate release film, seal, sugar film
- Also called
- HPMC, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose
- Grades on this base
- 1
- Systems
- Sugar coating
- Made at
- Plot No. 30, Industrial Area Tahliwal, Himachal Pradesh, India
Grades built on hypromellose
What each grade on this base is for, and the actives it was formulated against. The process parameters are on each grade page.
Sugar film coat material
Non-aqueous sucrose based system for a sugar coated finish without a full sugar line.
Non-aqueous sugar film coat that covers the tablet with a sucrose based solution and provides protection from light and moisture. It is fully formulated on HPMC, so a conventional or auto coater delivers the sugar coated appearance without the traditional multi stage sugar coating process.
- Base ·
- Non-aqueous (solvent)
- Finish ·
- Sugar coated appearance
Read next
- HPMC vs PVA based tablet coatingThe two immediate release film formers. One is the default, the other is the moisture barrier.
- Aqueous vs non-aqueous tablet coatingWater or solvent. The choice sets your process time, your plant requirements and what cores you can coat.
- Sugar CoatingFully formulated HPMC sucrose based systems for a classic sugar coated finish.
- Coating defects, and what causes themThe faults a film shows when the polymer is run outside its band, traced back to cause.
- Coating glossaryBuild-up, bed temperature, coalescence and the rest of the vocabulary this guide uses.
References
- FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
Maximum potency per dosage unit for each excipient in an approved US product.
- European Pharmacopoeia, EDQM
Excipient monographs, including the identity and purity tests a European buyer specifies against.
- USP-NF excipient monographs
The National Formulary monographs that US and Canadian specifications are written to.
- IPEC excipient GMP guide
The good manufacturing practice framework an excipient supplier is audited against.
Process bands quoted on this page are the ones our grades were developed on at Tahliwal. Confirm them on your own coater; a monograph describes the polymer, not your pan.
The other polymers
- Enteric, delayed releaseMethacrylic acid copolymermethacrylic base, acrylic enteric polymer
- Enteric, delayed releaseCellulose acetate phthalateCAP, CAP base
- Enteric, delayed releasePhthalate base polymerHPMC phthalate, phthalate enteric polymer
- Moisture barrier, immediate releasePolyvinyl alcoholPVA
- Enteric and moisture barrier film, glazingShellaclac resin, pharmaceutical glaze, E904
Films built on this polymer
Metallic gold film coat
Metallic blue DB3012
Aqueous colour film coat
Extra white film coat