Rebuilding the Past: How We Replicated a Sugar-Coated Tablet
Task: "You need to replicate this"
Sometimes innovation means building something new.
Other times, it means resurrecting something nearly forgotten. This was the challenge presented to our R&D team when a client approached us with a request: replicate two legacy sugar-coated tablets — without formulas, tooling specs, or manufacturing documentation.
The tablets were no longer being produced anywhere in the region. Sugar coating, once common in pharmaceuticals, has been almost entirely replaced by film coatings and modern polymers. We were stepping into a niche, highly manual, and underdocumented process — with no map.
The tablets were no longer being produced anywhere in the region. Sugar coating, once common in pharmaceuticals, has been almost entirely replaced by film coatings and modern polymers. We were stepping into a niche, highly manual, and underdocumented process — with no map.
This is the story of how we made it happen.
When a Formula Gets Lost — But Demand Remains
So we need to replicate these tablets
The Challenge: No Data, No Specs, No Industry Standard
Sugar coating, once widespread, is now so rare that few factories even have the equipment or staff to handle it. It’s considered a “lost art” — a separate universe from modern high-speed coating lines.
The project began with a nearly blank page:
The project began with a nearly blank page:
No original excipient composition
No confirmed diameter or thickness
No confirmed diameter or thickness
No sugar-coating formula
No press tooling size
we debated between 8mm, 9mm, and 10mm
No standard CMO
willing to sugar coat
Starting point, we know the shape and amount of coating
Our first step was to develop new placebo cores that matched the original tablets in weight, texture, and press profile.
Without press force records or excipient specs, this meant:
- Experimental batches using multiple filler/binder systems
- Dozens of press tests using different compression forces
- Testing both flat and biconvex profiles
- Measuring friability, hardness, and disintegration to ensure base quality
We eventually settled on a viable placebo — but this was only the beginning.
Reverse-Engineering the Core Tablets
- STEP ONE
Finding a Sugar-Coating Partner Took Over 6 Months
Sugar coating isn't something you outsource casually. It's:
- Labor-intensive
- Multi-step (seal coat, sub coat, smoothing, color, polish)
- Highly dependent on humidity, skill, and batch control
- It took over six months to find a partner factory still performing traditional sugar coating — with teams skilled in:
- Layer-by-layer application
- Color matching using legacy pigments
- Hand-finished polishing
- Sugar coating is closer to craftsmanship than industrial manufacturing — and requires an entirely different mindset.
- STEP TWO
R&D Visit and Coating
Round One: Failure to Match Color
Round One: Failure to Match Color
We visited the selected facility to supervise coating trials and align our development targets. The first trial was technically successful (smooth coating, proper adherence), but the color was off.
The tablets looked too dull and brownish, missing the client's memory of the bright sugar gloss.
This led to:
- Colorant system reformulation
- New pigment trials
- Surface finish adjustments
But because the base tablets had already been consumed — we had to repress an entirely new batch for round two
- First trials of green coating
- Placebo vs original tablet
- First trial of brown coating, to shiny
R&D Round Two: Success Through Persistence
In the second round, we:
- Re-optimized the placebo tablet hardness and surface finish
- Adjusted the layering steps and drying curves
- Finalized a new color coating system
Matching color and gloss
Proper taste masking
Reproducible coating quality
After two years, including downtime, lab time, and coordination time — we successfully recreated both tablets with:
- End result of color of brown coating
- Brown sugar-coating tablet cut in half
- Green colour coating , final color
- Final Result
A Technology Recovered
The sugar-coated tablets are now back in production — delivering:
- Product consistency
- Client satisfaction
- A niche differentiator that few brands can replicate
This project wasn’t just technical — it was cultural. Sugar coating isn’t scalable or trendy, but for some products, it’s the only way to meet consumer expectations.
Real R&D isn’t always about what's next — sometimes it’s about bringing the past forward with precision.
At BF‑EssE, we don’t shy away from lost formulas, dead processes, or legacy systems. We rebuild them.
Our client is happy.
We’re proud. And we’ve now mapped a previously lost process for future use.
We’re proud. And we’ve now mapped a previously lost process for future use.
Interested?
Contact BF‑EssE’s team for tailored support.
Partner with BF‑Esse for high-quality capsules, sachets, or liquid drops.
We’ll help you create a product that’s effective, compliant, and ready for your market.