It all started with a simple question: why should a syrup be so complicated to prepare?
Arturo Licenziati, as often happened, identified a real problem reported by doctors and pharmacists. Too many mucolytic formulations required manual reconstitution: pouring, shaking, hoping the dosage was correct. Impractical and imprecise.
So, he gathered his technicians and set the challenge: find a simple, safe, ready-to-use solution. The problem was that N-acetylcysteine, Solmucol’s active ingredient, was highly unstable. But the solution came: a glass bottle containing the liquid, a cap holding the powder, and in between, a thin aluminium membrane sealed with thermolacquer. Press, break the barrier, shake. And the syrup is ready. Brilliant in its simplicity.
Not only that: this technology allowed working with significant amounts of active ingredient – up to 20 grams – surpassing the limits of traditional solutions. A small revolution in pharmaceutical packaging that, in 1995, earned Solmucol the award for the most innovative packaging from Il Sole 24 Ore.
IBSA didn’t stop there: from syrup, they moved to granules, effervescent tablets, and orodispersible tablets. The principle remained the same: making life easier for those who actually use the medicine. This practical focus turned Solmucol from a simple mucolytic into a symbol of a new way of innovating.