A softgel capsule is an oral dosage form for medicine similar to capsules. They consist of a gelatin-based shell surrounding a liquid fill. softgel capsule shells are a combination of gelatin, water, opacifier and a plasticiser such as glycerin or sorbitol. Since the 1990s, manufacturers have been able to replace gelatin in the shell with other polymers based on, for example, starch and edible gum etc.

Global softgel capsule market was valued at 581 Million US$ in 2018 and is projected to reach 802 Million US$ by 2024, at a CAGR of 5.52% during the forecast period.

Usually, there are two ways to manufacture the softgel capsules: Rotary die encapsulation process and dropping method.
For the rotary die encapsulation process, it is invented by Robert Pauli Scherer. The encapsulation process has been described as a form/fill/seal process. Two flat ribbons of shell material are manufactured on the machine and brought together on a twin set of rotating dies. The dies contain recesses in the desired size and shape, which cut out the ribbons into a two-dimensional shape, and form a seal around the outside. At the same time a pump delivers a precise dose of fill material through a nozzle incorporated into a filling wedge whose tip sits between the two ribbons in between two die pockets at the point of cut out. The wedge is heated to facilitate the sealing process. The wedge injection causes the two flat ribbons to expand into the die pockets, giving rise to the three-dimensional finished product. After encapsulation, the softgels are dried for two days to two weeks depending on the product.
For the dropping method, the softgel capsules are manufactured by a dripping machine. But is cannot satisfy a large variety of softgel capsules needed today. So, it is going to be eliminated soon.

Key players in global softgel capsule market include: Catalent, Aenova, NBTY, Suheung Capsule, Patheon, IVC, EuroCaps, Captek, Bahrain Pharma, Capsugel, Soft Gel Technologies, Best Formulations, Sirio Pharma, Baihe Biotech, Fuji Capsule etc.