Industries
Pharmaceuticals
Product stability in pharmaceuticals starts with moisture management.
Pharmaceutical products rely on precise moisture control to maintain stability, safety, and performance. AQUALAB helps teams understand moisture management so products remain consistent from development through shelf life.
Common moisture challenges in pharmaceuticals.
Moisture migration
Many pharmaceutical products contain multiple components that do not hold moisture the same way. Over time, moisture can move between layers, coatings, or fill materials. This can affect tablet hardness, coating integrity, or product performance long after release.
Shelf-life breakdown
Products may pass early testing but change during storage or transport. Small moisture gains or losses can shorten shelf life, alter dissolution behavior, or lead to unexpected stability failures. When this happens late, teams face rework, investigation, and delayed supply.
Precision that supports daily decisions.
Pharmaceutical products are shaped by how moisture behaves over time. Tablets can soften or crack. Coatings can lose integrity. Liquids and biologics can drift away from their target state. These changes often happen slowly and are hard to see until they matter.
AQUALAB helps pharmaceutical teams understand when moisture is stable and when it is drifting by measuring water activity directly, rather than relying on moisture content or assumptions. Fast, repeatable measurements support clearer stability decisions, more predictable shelf life, and stronger alignment across R&D, production, and QA before release.
“The test results of the predictive stability can lead us to change the formulation so you save time and money. Now, we are more confident about the stability of the finished product.
Fabienne Letournel-Perreau,
R&D Team Manager, Arkopharma Laboratories
INDUSTRY EXPERTISE
Experience you can rely on
For more than 40 years, AQUALAB has helped manufacturers manage moisture in sensitive products. Our instruments and scientific experts support teams in development labs, production areas, and quality programs every day.
Today, more than 90 of the world’s leading food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and ingredient companies rely on AQUALAB to measure water activity with accuracy and consistency.
This experience gives baked snack food teams data they can trust, share, and stand behind when product quality matters most.
Lab services support
When questions go beyond routine testing, AQUALAB Lab Services provide expert moisture analysis to help diagnose issues, validate results, and uncover root causes.
Explore lab servicesWater activity meters
AQUALAB instruments deliver fast, accurate, and repeatable water activity measurements designed for use in R&D, Production, and QA teams.
AQUALAB 4TE
Fast. Precise. Economical. Meet the renowned instrument that brought water activity to the business world.
- aw in <5 min
- Highly compliant + compatible
- Secure data storage
AQUALAB 3
Lightning-fast total moisture analysis to tighten process control and boost quality.
- MC + aw in one
- Results in 60 seconds
- For the lab or the line
Lab services
Precision lab testing services to confirm quality, consistency, and compliance.
- Accurate results
- Fast turnaround
- Industry standards
Knowledge base
Explore resources, application notes, and expert guidance to help your quality team make moisture management simpler, clearer, and more reliable.
Water activity USP 922 standard in pharma
With water activity’s greater popularity in pharmaceutical has come new regulations and standards.
Water activity in pharmaceutical applications
Water activity measures the energy status of water – and energy status is a better way to evaluate moisture-related reactions that damage pharmaceuticals.
Government regulations recommend water activity measurements in food
Regulatory bodies around the globe require the use of water activity. We've compiled a complete regulation reference list.
How Thorne does the research right
As the wellness industry continues to grow rapidly, standing out is a challenge. Thorne HealthTech rises to it with a commitment to science-driven wellness and uncompromising quality, helping consumers live healthier, happier lives.