MeltPrep GmbH

In pharmaceutical development, hot-melt extrusion is an established technology for improving the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. The challenge lies in the screening phase: testing a formulation typically requires significant quantities of material — precious and often difficult to source in the early stages of development — and timelines that slow the entire research cycle. MeltPrep was built to address this bottleneck. The VCM technology developed by the company enables rapid screening of thermoplastic formulations with minimal material loss, making it possible to test a far greater number of formulation hypotheses in less time and with fewer resources. The insight behind the project emerged from an academic context — from the recognised need for a less wasteful approach to sample preparation for thermoplastic materials — and was translated into an instrument specifically designed for the practical needs of the pharmaceutical laboratory. The target customers are pharmaceutical companies, research centres, and laboratories working on the development of thermoplastic polymer-based formulations, who are looking for more efficient characterisation methods in the pre-clinical stages. The B2B model is based on tailored solutions and instrumentation. In a sector where development speed and the cost of experimental material have a direct impact on competitiveness, MeltPrep offers a concrete methodological advantage: less waste, more data, faster iteration.