Pharmaceutical industry competitiveness at a crossroads
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Catalent is also upgrading its clinical-supply facility in Bolton, United Kingdom, by expanding a temperature-controlled warehouse
to meet demand for clinical supply services, especially cold-chain storage and distribution. The expansion involves a purpose-built
extension of the existing facility and is expected to be operational in June 2008. The new temperature-controlled warehouse
will have floor space of 7500 ft2 , 2700 controlled ambient storage locations, and will house a 320-pallet refrigerator. The expansion follows two already
completed expansions at Catalent's other clinical-supply facilities in Europe (Schorndorf, Germany) and the United States
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
In addition to enhancing its clinical-trial materials capabilities, Catalent advanced its position in prefilled syringes.
In November 2007, the company announced that it completed its first influenza vaccine manufacturing campaign for its new prefilled
syringe manufacturing facility in Neder-Over-Heembeck, near Brussels, Belgium. The influenza vaccine production exceeded 21
million prefilled syringes for the 2007 campaign. The company's new prefilled syringe filling–finishing facility doubled its
previous prefilled syringe capacity and replaces existing facilities in Brussels. Catalent received European regulatory approval
for this facility in July 2006 and expects to have the first product approved by the US Food and Drug Administration at the
facility in 2008.
Vetter Pharma-Fertigung (Ravensburg, Germany) started the construction of a new facility for visual inspection and secondary
packaging. Vetter is a contract manufacturer of aseptic prefilled application systems. It is adding the new building close
to Ravensburg Vetter South, its existing facility, at an investment of approximately EUR 20 million ($29 million). The new
facility seeks to meet demand for homecare applications, including dual-chamber syringes and cartridges for pen- and autoinjectors
and to meet new international requirements, such as the adoption of safety systems for anticounterfeiting, according to the
company. The facility is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2008.
Keata Pharma (Toronto) opened a 46,400 ft2 -pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in November 2007. The facility includes offices for the
pharmaceutical consulting division of PharmEng (Toronto), Keata Pharma's parent company, pilot laboratories for formulation
development, rooms with various capabilities such as high-shear mixing, container blending, and equipment for modified-release
technology. The facility provides formulation development and testing services for manufacturing and packaging products in
solid and liquid dosage forms. Production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2008. Keata's long-term goal is to
develop capabilities in other dosage forms, such as suppositories, topicals, and injectables.
To that end, in late December 2007, Keata Pharma acquired Pfizer's (New York) 85,000-ft2 manufacturing facility in Arnprior, Ontario, including inventory. The acquisition gives Keata aseptic manufacturing capability.
With the acquisition, Keata also entered into a supply agreement with Pfizer for the exclusive manufacture of certain Pfizer
products for Canada at the Arnprior facility for a period of three years. Keata will also manufacture products from the Arnprior
location for two other major pharmaceutical clients with multiyear supply contracts. The aggregate revenues of these multiyear
supply contracts is estimated at C $75 million (US $72.5 million).
In late 2006, DPT Laboratories (San Antonio, TX) opened a new 258,000-ft2 research, development, manufacturing, and distribution facility. The $24-million expansion allowed the company to increase
its formulation development and analytical chemistry capabilities. DPT is a contract manufacturer of semi-solid and liquid
prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and biotech drug products.
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