Sterling Expands Milling, Micronization, and Solid Form Capabilities

Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Sterling Pharma Solutions is investing £6 million into a new facility at its United Kingdom site to expand its milling, micronization, and solid form capabilities. The investment in its 40-acre site in Dudley, North East England was made in response to growing demand for particle size reduction technology for pharmaceutical applications. Sterling is also expanding laboratory capabilities to provide a full solid form offering, which includes polymorph screening, salt selection, and particle engineering, and crystallization scale-up.

Four new milling areas will house a range of technologies, such as mechanical milling, spiral jet milling, and small lab-scale trial mills. To support the handling of potent and hazardous materials, the facility will also provide containment for occupational exposure band (OEB) 4 classified molecules and offer ISO 8 cleanroom environments.

Established in 1969, Sterling provides API development and manufacturing services and has a successful track record of compliance with both FDA and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The investment forms part of a 15-month strategic development plan totalling almost £12 million, which will also see the expansion of the CDMO’s GMP kilo laboratories and pilot plant. The milling, micronization, and solid form facility, which is expected to be operational by mid-2018, will create more than 15 jobs over the next 18 months, bringing Sterling’s total workforce to approximately 400 employees.

Sterling will be exhibiting at CPhI Worldwide in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 24–26, 2017.

Source: Sterling Pharma Solutions, Stand 80M80