GEA Collaborates with GSK on POD-Based Mini-Factories

GEA has entered into a collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to further develop self-contained, POD-based mini-factories for the manufacture of pharmaceutical oral solid dosage (OSD) forms. This partnership expands on GEA’s existing alliance with Pfizer and G-CON Manufacturing to design a portable, continuous, miniature, and modular (PCMM) prototype unit, which is currently being implemented at Pfizer’s labs in Groton (Connecticut, USA).

Pfizer, GEA, and G-CON formed a consortium to design and build an autonomous manufacturing environment for continuous OSD production using GEA’s ConsiGma 25 equipment and G-CON’s modular POD system. This manufacturing system is said to be the first of its kind and accelerates tablet production.

By miniaturizing the equipment, the continuous process can be enclosed in a portable, modular facility, which can be shipped by truck to any location in the world and quickly assembled. When fully operational, the system is able to transform powders into uncoated tablets within minutes, a process that currently takes days or weeks with existing technology.   

“GEA is delighted to welcome GSK to the consortium,” commented H. McCoy Knight, vice president of APC Pharma, in a press statement. “The involvement of another significant player from the global pharmaceutical manufacturing environment increasingly demonstrates the industry’s commitment to continuous processing and the acknowledgement that PCMM truly represents the future of on-demand drug production. We look forward to working with GSK and pushing the boundaries of our autonomous manufacturing environment for continuous OSD production even further.”

Highlights of PCMM’s potential for smaller, more flexible, continuous processing technologies include a 60–70% smaller footprint than a conventional production facility, the ability to use the same equipment for development, clinical trials and commercial manufacturing, and significantly reduced timelines. According to GEA, a PCMM facility takes about one year to set up and start running compared with two to three years for standard processes.

Source: GEA