Comparison of physico-chemical characteristics among three pharmaceutical spherical carbon adsorbents

In this study, various physicochemical characteristics were evaluated for three pharmaceutical spherical carbon adsorbents, Kremezin as a brand product and its generics; Merckmezin and Spherical Carbon Adsorbent “Mylan”. Scanning electron microscopic observations, measurements of specific surface area, particle sizes, and pore volume distributions by mercury intrusion porosimetry, and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) analysis were conducted. Compared to Kremezin, Merckmezin is dented with a small pore-rich structure; pores of less than 10 nm make up 43% (Kremezin) and 68% (Merckmezin) of total pore volume. On the other hand, Spherical Carbon Adsorbent “Mylan” is porous with macropores. The results of fractal dimension analysis of micropores suggested that the complexity of the internal pore structure is Merckmezin > Kremezin ≫ Spherical Carbon Adsorbent “Mylan”. The three spherical carbon adsorbents are physico-chemically different, but clinical studies should be conducted to prove that they are therapeutically equivalent.

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► Three pharmaceutical spherical carbon adsorbents were physico-chemically compared.
► Physical-sorption profiles were evaluated.
► Physical characteristics differed among the three.
► The two generics were structurally different from the branded product.