Boron in Pharmaceuticals

Ensure moist, comfortable, and safe eye-care products with high-purity boron

Each year in the U.S. alone, more than 100 million people use eye drops and eye wash to seek relief from discomfort.

With so many people relying on these products to keep their vision healthy, you shoulder tremendous responsibility for producing safe and effective solutions. Boron is often key to achieving these properties. When applied in small quantities, boric acid retains moisture, controls pH, and provides relief from irritants.

As with any pharmaceutical application, the partner you source raw materials from is not a choice to be taken lightly. Leading eyecare product manufacturers and distributors trust U.S. Borax to deliver high-quality borates with exceptional purity to meet requirements in the tightly regulated pharmaceutical industry.

Our exceptional compliance record starts at our Coudekerque operations, where our refined borates are subject to an additional refining process to ensure low levels of elemental impurities.

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Why is boron used in eye drops and other eye care products?

Using a carefully administered, pharmaceutical grade of boric acid in eye drops and eye-care products is not new. Borates have been key ingredients in eye-care for generations, because of three main benefits they impart:

Mild antibiotic properties
Buffering properties
Compatible tonicity

Which products use borates?

Eye drops (artificial tears)
An eye drop solution must closely match the pH level of eyes. Small amounts of borax decahydrate EP/NF and Optibor^® EP/NF help ocular product manufacturers control pH and retain moisture.

Saline solution for contact lenses
Debris and daily cleanser residue can cause discomfort for people wearing contact lenses. A sterile saline solution buffered with small quantities of borax decahydrate EP/NF and Optibor EP/NF can help alleviate irritation.

Lubricating and rewetting drops
When used in lubricating and rewetting drops, boron’s buffering properties make soft contact lenses more comfortable to wear and keep them moist.

Eye wash
A boric acid ophthalmic solution is a common eye wash used to cleanse and irrigate eyes. Boric acid provides relief from eye irritation and helps remove pollutants such as smog, chlorine, and other chemicals.

Ensuring regulatory compliance

You balance challenging objectives: Produce high-quality products, lower manufacturing costs, and, above all, ensure safety and compliance. We can help you with all three.

At our Coudekerque facility we produce pharmaceutical grade borate products that:

Conform to the current edition of European Pharmacopeia (EP)
Exceed U.S. pharmaceutical standards (NF)
Fully comply with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines (ICH-Q7)
Conform to CEP (Certificate of Suitability) certification of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)

Our product stewardship team can guide you through any questions on evolving global regulations, ensuring you maintain compliance.

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U.S. Borax: Trusted borate supplier for leading eye-care brands

A commitment to quality, purity, and regulatory compliance record is why the top eye-care brands trust us as their boron supplier.

Masters of regulatory adherence

We’re industry leaders in compliance, as evidenced by Borax Français becoming the first borate producer to acquire GMP Certification. With robust documentation and regulatory experience, we can provide what you need to navigate the compliance landscape.