Shin-Etsu Chemical's PHARMACOAT® was developed from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in 1963, during the early days of film coating, and has been the subject of a continuous program of development and quality improvement since then.Film coatings of this type are now in widespread use throughout the world.

In addition, PHARMACOAT® is effective as a binder, since it does not interact with drugs, and has superior stability, nonionic character, etc. PHARMACOAT® is widely used as a binder for granulation, and is available in various viscosity grades for granulation purposes.