Purdue University alumnus Allen Chao, who co-founded Watson Pharmaceuticals in 1983, is bringing his expertise to the Purdue GMP Center LLC in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette.

Mr. Chao, along with his son Michael Chao and business leader Alfonso Chang will oversee the contract drug manufacturing facility. The center also will now operate under its incorporated name of Purdue GMP Center after doing business for the past 11 years under the name the Chao Center for Industrial Pharmacy and Contract Manufacturing.

The Purdue GMP Center (PGC) is a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) focused on providing pharmaceutical-based solutions that involve formulation development, clinical-scale cGMP manufacturing and small-scale commercial cGMP manufacturing to clients.     

“We have supported the Purdue GMP Center since its opening and know there is a strong market for contract drug manufacturing that the Purdue GMP Center can provide,” Mr. Chao said. “Our goal is to fully utilize the Purdue GMP Center for other pharmaceutical lines and facilitate a wonderful growth opportunity for the center by expanding into compound development.”

The Purdue GMP Center opened in 2005 through a $5 million gift from Mr. Chao.

The center has seven multi-use manufacturing suites situated along a clean corridor. All the suites are designed to accommodate different types of equipment and production needs. There are two suites that can accommodate production activities requiring the use of organic solvents. The center will continue to manufacture and distribute Cycloserine Capsules USP, a global drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co. used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.