Cambrex Doubles Liquid-Filling Capacity at Québec Facility

Cambrex, a small-molecule company providing drug substance, drug product, and analytical services across the entire drug lifecycle, announced on March 26, 2019 that it will double the liquid packaging capacity and weekly output at its Mirabel, Québec, site in Canada with the addition of a cGMP packaging line and a new filler on the existing packaging line. By June 2019, the monthly capacity will be 1.2 million bottles compared with approximately 600,000 per month today.

The new cGMP liquid packaging line allows the use of two fillers (XP and non-XP) working in parallel from process development through to cGMP commercial production and will now offer flexibility to accommodate ethanol and isopropanol-based solutions, aqueous solutions, lotions, or suspensions. A new vision system has also been installed for online serialization.

“This investment effectively doubles the liquid packaging capacity and weekly output at the site, while improving production cycle time and providing greater flexibility to customers,” said Maryse Laliberte, vice-president and general manager, Cambrex Mirabel, in a company press release. “By operating multiple liquid packaging lines that utilize the same technology, we are able to improve reaction times for our customers’ specific requirements and to support unexpected increases in demand.”

The new cGMP packaging line is linked to the existing storage tank to fill solution and suspension, and to explosion-proof ratings tanks to allow for fill solutions containing 100% alcohol or peroxide. The next-generation automatic inline, high precision filler machine will be in operation by June 2019.

Cambrex reports that it acquired the 226,000-ft² Montreal facility, formerly part of Halo Pharma, in September 2018. The plant is dedicated to formulation development and finished dosage manufacturing services and can accommodate a range of solid and liquid drug product dosage forms, including suspensions and solutions, non-sterile, semi-solids, lotions, creams, ointments, and suppositories. It can also support high-volume and small-batch manufacturing and offers a variety of packaging services for bottles, tubes, and cartons.

Source: Cambrex