DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals Boosts Manufacturing Capacity

Building on its commitment to producing antibiotics sustainably in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals (DSP) will expand its manufacturing facility in Delft, the Netherlands, the company announced on April 25, 2017. The Delft site produces 7-ADCA, the key intermediate for making the company’s sustainable cephalosporin APIs including cephalexin, cefadroxil, and cefradine. DSP is the only remaining producer of this intermediate in the western hemisphere; the company uses a proprietary technology it developed in the early 2000s.

A new fermenter will be added to the DSP site in Delft, the Netherlands, which will make use of energy efficient and environmentally friendly technology. DSP expects the new extension to the plant to be fully operational in the last quarter of 2017.

“Irresponsible manufacturing has been recognized as one of the key causes of AMR due to the uncontrolled release of antibiotics into the environment. In particular, waterways downstream of production facilities may contain significant concentrations of antimicrobial activity, and risk becoming breeding grounds for resistance,” DSP wrote in a press release. “As a leader in the sustainable production of β-lactam antibiotics, DSP has implemented the cleanest production technology available and installed dedicated wastewater treatment plants. These operate all year round as an integral part of DSP’s manufacturing process at Delft and all other sites, in combination with the testing of effluents for antimicrobial activity. In response to the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the company is committed to minimizing the release of antimicrobial active ingredients into the environment.”