Manufacturing

Although shortages, quality, and regulatory challenges remain, improved technologies and new investments suggest that the worst may be over.

Miriam Beyer, European marketing manager, West Pharmaceutical Services, describes causes of recent parenteral drug shortages.

Catalent Pharma Solutions announced plans to quadruple the cold-chain capacity at its existing clinical supply storage and distribution facility in Shanghai, China. The expansion comes in response to increasing demand from domestic and multinational pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs).

USP responds to FDA's draft guidance on the naming of biological products.

Rx-360 announced that Mark S. Paxton has been appointed as the new chief executive office of the international pharmaceutical supply chain consortium. This appointment follows the successful growth of Rx-360 since its foundation in 2009 in the aftermath of the adulterated heparin tragedy. Rx-360 has 300 volunteers from more than 100 institutions that are organized in 17 working groups with activities in the US, Europe, China, and India.

According to a third-quarter earnings report, Pfizer’s vaccine business contributed nearly 14% to its total revenue.

Despite considerable investment by biotech manufacturers in developing competitive biologics for the US market, gaining FDA approval of these products has turned out to be a slow and complex process.

An industry-led strategy was launched in September 2015, in which senior experts from life-sciences and chemical companies set out how Scotland provides the infrastructure, connectivity, and academic excellence necessary to sustain a thriving manufacturing base.

Univercells will integrate its single-use bioprocess with the Takeda vaccines production platform to allow local production.

Employing continuous manufacturing and data analytics will help improve the efficiency of pharmaceutical manufacturing in the facility of the future.

The agency gives an update on the regulation of combination medical products.

The FDA grants to the Rutgers-led C-SOPS research consortium will support the introduction of continuous manufacturing techniques for pharmaceuticals.

The site is expected to become fully operational in 2017 and will produce approximately 40 million packs and 850 million tablets of some 30 innovative medicines every year.

Flexsafe 3D Pre-Designed Solutions feature appropriate components, functionalities, and quality controls that meet the specific requirements of each step in upstream and downstream processing and in final filling.

Scottish injectable-drug manufacturer Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services plans to expand its sterile filling facility.

At CPhI Worldwide 2015, The Dow Chemical Company announced the global commercial availability of AFFINISOL HPMC HME, a new generation of cellulosic polymer for drug solubilization. The polymer is designed for use by pharmaceutical companies looking to enhance the solubilization and inhibit the recrystallization of APIs in hot-melt extrusion (HME) formulations.

The Quad Pulse Package PX dust collector from Camfil Air Pollution Control is a compact unit for processes that produce hazardous dusts in high concentrations, with a cleanable filter system that facilitates continuous manufacturing.

Steris Corporation’s steam sterilizer provides reliable decontamination for high-containment facilities.

Ajinomoto Althea, a biopharmaceutical CDMO, is expanding its existing biological drug product manufacturing operations to include highly active materials, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), the company announced on Oct. 14, 2015. The new facility is located in close proximity to the company’s existing operations in San Diego, CA.

The joint marketing agreement allows the companies to expand dedicated blister feed system technologies.

The new sugars are touted to increase the efficacy of active pharmaceutical ingredients and improve cell culture yield.

In the past, contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and contract development manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) have been focused most on achieving scale, reaching new clients in new geographic regions, and adding services that were previously unavailable, according to Gil Y. Roth, president of the Pharma and Biopharma Outsourcing Association. In a new report from CPhI, Roth explicates how consolidation has changed how CMOs position their services to clients and how CMOs add value to their businesses.

Upgrades to Mettler Toledo’s weighing and dosing equipment increase productivity using lean laboratory principles.

Cell Therapy Catapult will provide manufacturing scale-up services to enable Asterias’ future clinical trials and commercial supply for Asterias’ allogeneic dendritic cell immunotherapy, AST-VAC2.

Contract manufacturer PiazaBio announces services for Western Pharma companies seeking to enter the China market.

The high cost of disposables is a factor in restricting adoption of single-use devices.

The Cell History File is designed as a “cell passport” for developers and manufacturers of tissue- and cell-based medicinal products.

Probiodrug has signed an agreement with Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH for the development of PBD-C06, a pGlu-Abeta-specific monoclonal antibody, as treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The challenge of achieving zero visible defects (i.e., particulates) in parenteral drugs will require a coordinated effort at all stages of the supply chain, particularly in the production and filling of primary containers.

The PDA report discusses qualification and operational handling of passive thermal protection systems.