Lonza Capsugel to Feature Organicaps, UC-II, and Capsule Delivery Technologies at SupplySide Global 2026

Lonza Capsugel will exhibit at SupplySide Global 2026 in Las Vegas, October 28–30, at booth 6065. The company says its display will cover hard empty capsules, liquid-filled capsules, dosage-form technologies, contract development and manufacturing capabilities, and ingredients including UC-II undenatured type II collagen.¹

What Else Will Be on Display?

The company is marking 25 years of UC-II. It describes the ingredient as the most researched brand of undenatured type II collagen and says it is expanding into new formats and the companion animal segment. Lonza Capsugel will also show Licaps liquid-filled capsules, which use band-free LEMS (Liquid Encapsulation Microspray Sealing) technology and a nitrogen bubble infusion process. It will also show Beadlets technology and curated ingredient and dosage-form combinations. Technical and commercial experts will be at the booth to discuss formulation needs.

What Is New With Organicaps?

Lonza Capsugel’s Organicaps plant-based capsules are now available in size 0, according to the company. The shells are made from pullulan produced by fermenting tapioca, and Lonza describes them as 100% biobased and manufactured in North America using 100% renewable electricity. The company also says the shell has the lowest oxygen permeability of any capsule shell material, which it links to protecting oxygen-sensitive ingredients.

In an April 2026 interview with Nutritional Outlook, Kristin Dalton, associate director of product management for specialty polymers at Lonza Capsugel, said the capsules launched in October 2025 as a certified organic, plant-based option.² She explained that pullulan can qualify for organic certification when organic starch is used in fermentation, while hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) cannot because of the chemical modification involved in making it. The interview compares pullulan’s oxygen barrier with gelatin’s and cites Lonza internal data from 2024.

The release says 47% of consumers are very likely to choose a brand with health benefits for them and the planet, a figure that Dalton’s interview attributes to NielsenIQ. She also cited survey data indicating that 65% of nutraceutical consumers are more likely to buy a product with USDA organic certification, and 54% are willing to pay more for it.

What Does the Licaps Duocap Study Show?

Lonza Capsugel will also feature its Licaps Duocap capsule-in-capsule technology, which it says helps address formulation challenges. A study published in Pharmaceutics tested five capsule configurations in a simulated human upper gastrointestinal tract model under fasted and fed conditions.³ Each capsule held caffeine as a release tracer and pancreatin, an acid-sensitive enzyme.⁴

Under fed conditions, the capsule-in-capsule formats delayed caffeine release until the end of the duodenum or jejunum. They recovered 53% to 87% of butyrate, the measure of enzyme activity. A standard immediate-release capsule recovered 16% to 21%. Lonza reports up to four times higher enzyme activity in the upper small intestine with Duocap than with the immediate-release capsule. One dual-capsule arrangement, a delayed-release capsule inside another, recovered 10% to 36%. Elnaz Karimian Azari, PhD, senior manager of R&D at Lonza Capsugel and lead author, said capsule selection is important to the success of nutraceutical products.

References

1. Lonza Capsugel to showcase sustainable capsule innovations, advanced delivery technologies, and science-backed ingredients at SupplySide Global 2026. News release. Lonza Capsugel; October 14, 2026.
2. Krawiec S. Formulating plant-based and organic supplements: a conversation with Lonza Capsugel. Nutritional Outlook. April 2, 2026. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/formulating-plant-based-and-organic-supplements-a-conversation-with-lonza-chi
3. Karimian Azari E, Govaert M, Duysburgh C, Glab S, Marzorati M, Saiyed Z. Evaluation of targeted-release capsule formulations for protection of the acid-sensitive enzyme pancreatin under fasted and fed intestinal conditions in vitro. Pharmaceutics. 2026;18(3):285. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics18030285
4. McEvoy, E. Lonza’s Duocap capsule-in-capsule technology protects acid-sensitive enzymes. Nutritional Outlook. June 2, 2026. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/lonza-duocap-capsule-technology-protects-acid-sensitive-enzymes