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Spanish Licaps capsules are a specialized two-piece liquid-filled hard capsule designed for encapsulating oils and semi-solid formulations. Developed by Capsugel (now part of Lonza), Licaps employ a patented Liquid Encapsulation Microspray Sealing (LEMS) process to hermetically seal the capsule halves without a band, creating a single fused unit. This design allows the capsule to contain liquids securely while providing a smooth, easy-to-swallow form. Licaps shells can be made of fish gelatin or vegetarian polymers (hypromellose/HPMC, pullulan, etc.), enabling clean-label and specialty formulations. In practice, Capsugel’s portfolio offers Licaps in gelatin, HPMC, HPMC-gellan, and pullulan shells, many with kosher/halal and organic certifications.
Manufacturing Process of Licaps Capsules
Capsule Shell Materials
Licaps capsules are available in several polymer options. The original Licaps used fish-derived gelatin shells, which are naturally plasticizer-free, offering strong oxygen barriers and compatibility with marine oil ingredients. To meet vegetarian, vegan, and organic market demands, Capsugel also produces plant-based Licaps using hypromellose (HPMC) cellulose and other plant-derived materials. These HPMC Licaps are pH-independent (no additional gelling agents) and have earned EU organic certifications for finished products. Pullulan and blended polymers (e.g. Vcaps® Plus, DRcaps®) further expand options. In all cases, Licaps shells are manufactured under cGMP conditions with full quality certification (ISO, GMP, etc.), ensuring they meet industry standards for safety (e.g. gluten-free, BSE-free)
Liquid Filling and LEMS Sealing
After encapsulation of a liquid or semi-solid fill, Licaps capsules undergo a specialized sealing process. Capsugel’s LEMS (Liquid Encapsulation Microspray Sealing) technology applies a micron-scale spray of gelatin (or polymer) to the capsule seam, fusing the two halves into a one-piece capsule. This fusion eliminates the traditional band (bandless seal) and creates an exceptionally large seal zone (up to 8× wider than a banded closure). Prior to sealing, the capsule interior is flushed with inert nitrogen gas to purge oxygen. The result is a hermetically sealed capsule with virtually no trapped air and an oxygen-impermeable shell. Notably, Licaps contain no plasticizers or glycerin, unlike softgel capsules. This absence of plasticizers prevents the formation of microchannels that can allow oxygen ingress and odor escape.
Licaps can be filled and sealed on high-throughput machines; for example, GSK reported integrating Licaps sealing into its lines to produce up to 350,000 capsules per shift. Empty Licaps shells are also available for R&D use (e.g. in a capsule caddy), offering flexibility for in-house filling or contract manufacturing. Overall, the combination of robust capsule materials, nitrogen flushing, and LEMS sealing gives Licaps superior container integrity and stability compared to conventional softgel or tablet forms.
Advantages of Licaps Capsules
Licaps capsules offer several technical advantages that appeal to supplement manufacturers and pharmaceutical formulators:
Enhanced Stability and Shelf Life: The fused Licaps seal and plasticizer-free shell provide an excellent barrier to oxygen. Licaps are “less permeable than softgels to oxygen,” greatly reducing oxidation of sensitive oils. This hermetic sealing extends product shelf life and preserves potency. In fact, a market survey found consumers preferred krill oil dosed in Licaps due to reduced odor and rancidity. Compared to tablets, Licaps also protect moisture-sensitive actives; they offer a better oxygen barrier than tablets, helping protect ingredient potency.
Improved Bioavailability: Because the active ingredient is already dissolved or suspended in liquid form, Licaps can provide faster dissolution and absorption than solid forms. Studies (e.g. CoQ10, botanicals) indicate liquid-filled capsules can enhance bioavailability for poorly water-soluble compounds. Capsugel notes that Licaps enable “improved absorption and bioavailability over tablets”. Eliminating thermal drying steps also preserves delicate actives; many formulations retain maximal potency and release quickly once ingested. In practice, consumers perceive Licaps as fast-acting since they see the liquid inside; this visible-liquid format itself is associated with efficacy.
Clean-Label and Formulation Benefits: Licaps shells contain minimal excipients. Unlike softgels (which use starches and plasticizers), Licaps capsules support “clean label” claims. They are inherently starch-free, gluten-free, and preservative-free. Manufacturers can promote “no plasticizers” and “no additives” on labels, aligning with consumer demand for natural products. Compared to tablets, Licaps also require far fewer fillers or binders; for example, one report notes they contain “much less additives” than tablets. This simplicity reduces risk of excipient compatibility issues and streamlines formulation development. Capsugel highlights that Licaps formulations can reach market faster than comparable tablets due to simpler processing.
Content Uniformity and High Potency Handling: For low-dose or high-potency actives, Licaps offer better uniformity than tablets or softgels. The liquid fill can be metered precisely, reducing dose variability. Additionally, Licaps can safely contain highly potent oils and botanical extracts, as the robust seal prevents leakage during production and handling. Indeed, GSK reported that after rigorous stability testing “Licaps had intact seals” and no leakage, improving their product’s quality and shelf-life.
Consumer Appeal: From a user perspective, Licaps are smooth and swallow easily. The hard capsule mask unpleasant tastes or odors very effectively. Unlike softgels that must add masking flavors (which can degrade), Licaps inherently prevent odor escape by their tight seal. As a result, products like fish oil and krill oil in Licaps are perceived as more pleasant. Capsugel cites a case where customers selected the Licaps-delivered krill oil over softgels for superior taste and odor control. In marketing surveys, a majority of consumers expressed willingness to buy supplements in visible liquid capsule form.
Regulatory and Quality Compliance: Licaps are manufactured under strict quality systems. Many Licaps products are certified kosher/halal and comply with FDA and global pharmacopeial standards when used in pharmaceuticals. Capsugel’s plants (e.g. Colmar, France) are cGMP-certified, and their Licaps production lines have even earned organic certification for plant-based capsules. In summary, Licaps combine advanced sealing technology with high manufacturing quality, satisfying both dietary supplement regulations and pharmaceutical requirements.
Licaps Capsules vs Softgels and Tablets
Licaps vs Softgel Capsules
Licaps were specifically engineered to overcome limitations of traditional soft gelatin capsules. Softgels generally contain glycerin/sorbitol plasticizers to keep the shell flexible. However, these plasticizers can migrate and create microscopic channels in the shell. Through these channels, oxygen can enter and odors can escape over time. By contrast, Licaps use unplasticized gelatin or polymer and a fusion seal, eliminating such microchannels. In practice, this means Licaps capsules have far lower oxygen and odor permeability than softgels. As NutraIngredients reported, softgels for krill oil often turn stale (“smell like old chocolate”) despite added fragrances, whereas Licaps avoided this issue by blocking odor leakage.
Because Licaps are two-piece hard capsules, they also allow heat-sensitive or solid-fill lines on automated equipment. In one pharmaceutical example, GSK found Licaps integrating seamlessly with their capsule-filling machines (Bosch line) and producing leak-free batches, enabling an in-house liquid dosage line that replaced outsourced softgel production. GSK estimated that using Licaps cut their product lead time by 12 weeks compared to softgels. Moreover, softgels are typically larger and cannot easily accommodate some combinations of ingredients. Licaps can be made in sizes up to 1200 mg fill (similar to a 1 g softgel), and their two-piece form means multiple ingredients (like powders, beads, lipids) can be co-encapsulated if needed.
In summary, compared to softgels Licaps offer:
- A more robust oxygen/odor barrier (no plasticizers).
- No requirement for gelatin softening agents, enabling cleaner formulations.
- Flexible manufacturing (capsule filling vs gelatin viscous fill).
- Better consumer perception (easy to swallow, “high-quality” look).
Licaps vs Tablets
While both Licaps and tablets can deliver solid and liquid actives, Licaps have advantages for certain compounds. Tablets require compressing excipients and often granulating the active, a complex process especially for oils. Licaps skip these steps: the active can be loaded directly as a liquid, eliminating disintegration concerns. Because the drug is already dissolved or suspended, onset can be faster and absorption may improve. Studies show liquid formulations often achieve higher bioavailability than tablets for lipophilic substances.
Formulators also value that Licaps allow lower use of binders and flow agents than tablets. For example, in a tablet you might need starch, cellulose, magnesium stearate, etc., whereas a Licaps fill might need only a solubilizer and antioxidant. VitaHerb notes that “compared to tablets…Licaps contain much less additives”. This reduces potential interactions and may improve purity. Indeed, Licaps themselves dissolve completely (no insoluble shell residues), leaving little to no inactive residue.
From a manufacturing viewpoint, producing a tablet with a new active can require lengthy formula optimization and tooling. Capsugel claims Licaps can often reach market faster because formulating a liquid fill is simpler than developing a tablet blend. In addition, uniformity is often better: liquids naturally disperse active evenly, avoiding segregation issues common in low-dose tablets. For very low-dosage ingredients (e.g. potent botanicals, hormones), Licaps help ensure content uniformity.
Lastly, consumer differentiation is a factor. Tablets are commonplace, while liquid capsules provide visual novelty and an implied “fast-acting” branding. One Capsugel marketer noted that consumers associate visible liquid with efficacy and are willing to pay more for such formats.
Applications in Supplements and Pharmaceuticals
Dietary Supplements
Licaps capsules have been widely adopted in the nutritional supplement market, especially for oils, fat-soluble nutrients, and botanical extracts. Popular use-cases include omega-3 oils (fish and krill oil), fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), coenzyme Q10, and oil-based botanical tinctures. For example, Healthy Directions chose Licaps for its “Krill Omega Defense” supplement to contain krill oil without fishy taste. Capsugel cites studies where consumers preferred krill oil in Licaps form to those in softgels due to reduced odor.
Other supplement brands (e.g. Solgar, Mercola) market Licaps-based formulas. Mercola announced Licaps use for their ubiquinol (CoQ10) and krill oil products to enhance absorption. Capsugel’s own pipeline includes pre-filled Licaps for common botanical oils (e.g. saw palmetto, evening primrose) that customers can use as finished goods. The visual liquid inside Licaps also aids marketing: many supplement consumers find a capsule with visible liquid novel and premium.
Pharmaceutical Products
Beyond supplements, Licaps technology is used in pharmaceuticals for lipid-based drug formulations. The GSK GranuFink (benign prostatic hyperplasia) product is a case in point. Originally launched in softgels, GSK reformulated it into Licaps capsules containing pumpkin seed oil and extract. The company reported that Licaps met all stability requirements (no leakage) and enabled them to move production in-house, cutting lead times by ~12 weeks. The technical team noted that Licaps integrated well with capsule filling equipment, and once validated, they could output large volumes internally.
Pharmaceutical developers also value that Licaps can deliver acid-sensitive or moisture-sensitive drugs. For example, Lonza markets “designed release liquid capsules” for nutraceuticals, which use similar fusion sealing (Licaps) to protect coatings. Licaps, due to their robust seal, may also be combined with enteric capsule shells or multi-particulate systems (like Duocap®) to achieve delayed release if needed.
Furthermore, organic certification (as achieved in Capsugel’s French plant for plant-based Licaps) appeals to a segment of supplement R&D. Overall, Licaps bridge the gap between traditional hard capsules and softgels, allowing pharma-grade manufacturing (cGMP lines, validation, etc.) for liquid formulations that would otherwise require softgels or complex tablet formulations.
Conclusion
Licaps capsules are a unique dosage form combining the familiarity of hard capsules with the benefits of liquid formulations. Through their patented sealing technology (LEMS) and flexible shell materials, they enable safe, stable delivery of oils and semi-solids in a compact pill. For supplement and pharmaceutical professionals, Licaps offer a way to expand formulation possibilities: improving bioavailability, streamlining development, and meeting consumer demands for clean labels. In comparisons with traditional softgels and tablets, Licaps often show superior oxygen protection, taste-masking, and manufacturing advantages. As the market for high-value nutrients and complex drugs grows, Licaps capsules provide a versatile and proven platform for modern delivery challenges.
Licaps capsules FAQS
Transparency is the cornerstone of our Yundu team. That’s why below, you can find the most common questions and answers we receive surrounding our capsules filling machine.
Licaps capsules are two-piece hard capsules specifically designed for liquid and semi-liquid formulations. They are hermetically sealed to prevent leakage, improve stability, and ensure precise dosing, making them ideal for nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.
Unlike traditional hard capsules, Licaps capsules are tightly sealed using advanced fusion technology. This creates a leak-proof shell that safely contains liquid or semi-solid ingredients, enhancing stability and protection against oxygen and moisture.
Licaps capsules can hold a wide range of formulations, including oils, suspensions, and pastes. They are particularly suitable for probiotics, fish oil, herbal extracts, and pharmaceutical actives that require enhanced bioavailability and controlled release.
Yes, in many cases. Licaps capsules offer faster dissolution, no plasticizers, and improved oxygen protection compared to softgels. They are also easier to customize and compatible with clean-label requirements, appealing to health-conscious consumers.
Yes. Licaps capsules are designed to deliver liquid ingredients efficiently, improving absorption and bioavailability. This makes them ideal for fat-soluble vitamins, omega-3 oils, and other nutrients that benefit from liquid delivery systems.
Licaps capsules are available in both gelatin and HPMC (vegetarian) options, allowing manufacturers to meet different dietary, cultural, and regulatory requirements. The choice depends on the target market and ingredient compatibility.
They use a proprietary fusion-sealing process that fuses the cap and body without adhesives. This ensures a hermetic, leak-proof closure, which helps maintain ingredient stability and prevents tampering or accidental opening.
Licaps capsules are widely used in nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, sports nutrition, and functional foods. They are favored for products requiring liquid encapsulation, rapid release, or clean-label claims to appeal to premium markets.
Yes. The hermetic seal protects oxygen-sensitive ingredients such as probiotics, omega-3s, and plant oils from oxidation, extending shelf life and preserving potency throughout the product’s lifecycle.
Licaps capsules do not require preservatives or plasticizers and can be made with vegetarian materials. Their transparent, minimal formulation supports clean-label claims, which are increasingly demanded by health-conscious consumers.
