Avecia's New Early Phase Pharmaceutical Facility Marks Industry "First"
17 June 2002, Avecia today opened a new, five stream 'early phase' pharmaceutical pilot plant at Huddersfield UK. The facility is the first of its kind in the healthcare industry dedicated to the rapid conversion of customers’ development processes into clinical trial quantities of pharmaceutical intermediates and actives.
The 12,000 sq ft plant has three main process streams, of 175 – 1,600-litre capacity; two kilo-scale streams with 50 litre capacity reactors together with laboratories and ancillary facilities for chemists and support staff. The £2m+ facility has created 24 jobs at Avecia’s Huddersfield site.
A key feature of the highly flexible manufacturing suites is the speed and efficiency in which they can accommodate customers’ development processes for delivery of pharmaceutical intermediates and actives. The facility operates to appropriate GMP standards for projects in early clinical trials phases.
Its location at Huddersfield means that customers can benefit from the seamless technology transfer of projects - which have been successful in early clinical trials - to Avecia’s larger scale NPI (New Product Introduction) plants on the same site.
The latest facility in a £30m+ programme of Avecia investment in 'early phase' pharmaceutical development and manufacturing for clinical trials, the new plant was formally opened by Avecia chief executive officer Jeremy Scudamore.
"This project further recognises the healthcare industry’s need for ever shorter lead times in drug development and production”, said Mr Scudamore. “Quick turn-rounds are the essence of this new facility, reflecting our focus on added value by helping our customers to bring their new drugs to market faster".
Other recent 'early phase' investments by Avecia have included a new 10,000 sq ft R&D suite at its Ontario, Canada-based pharmaceutical development business - Torcan Chemical, which makes complex pharmaceutical intermediates and active ingredients.
In combination, Avecia’s latest facilities in Huddersfield and Canada, together with its innovative technologies in production processes, enable the company to meet the widest possible range of 'early phase' customer requirements. The developments are part of Avecia’s strategy to drive growth in its Fine Chemicals business sector towards sales of £350m by 2005.
For pharmaceutical intermediates and active ingredients used in 'late phase' clinical trials and for launched pharma products, Avecia has a range of large scale assets at its UK facilities in Huddersfield, Billingham on Teesside and Grangemouth, Scotland.
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