Patheon plans to invest approximately $45 million at key sites across its global network to expand service capabilities.
  
The company’s recently acquired site in Florence, SC, will be adding commercial spray drying capabilities. The 15,000-sq.-ft. dedicated suite will contain two spray dryers delivering development and commercial scale spray-dried dispersion (SDD) services. The suite is expected to be online in 2019.
 
At the Bend, OR site the company plans to expand existing development SDD capabilities with a new cGMP analytical lab, manufacturing suite and additional development scale spray drying. Together, the expanded capabilities at the Florence and Bend locations will provide clients with services for products with solubility challenges, from development to commercialization.
 
Additionally, Patheon has invested in a new commercial sterile product manufacturing facility in its Monza, Italy site, which will house three, 40m² lyophilizers with eight-headed integrated filling equipment for lyo and liquid formulations for small and large molecules, in a range of vial specifications. The equipment will have full CIP/SIP systems, auto loading for the lyophilizers contained in full RABs systems to ensure sterility.
 
Patheon also plans to expand its sterile product Pharmaceutical Development Services (PDS) at the Monza facility. The sterile suite will contain two 7m²lyophilizers and associated sterile vial filling line and analytical lab. This new facility will provide services for both small and large molecule injectable products (liquid and lyo formulations) and will be operational in mid-2019.
 
Also, at its Greenville, NC site, the company will expand packaging and serialization capabilities. The company has built a new filling and packaging suite and upgraded another of its packaging lines with new technology to improve efficiency and reduce change-over time. The newly constructed 4,800-sq.-ft. suite will come online this fall and features a filling and packaging line equipped with an Optel serialization system. The system includes cameras, pharma proof stations, line master, and bottle and bundle tracker equipment.
 
“As outsourcing of Pharma development and manufacturing services continues to grow, our customers will need even more advanced technologies and customized solutions to meet their business needs,” said Michel Lagarde, president of Patheon. “With the increasing marketplace pressures, pharma companies are looking to build more reliable, flexible and cost-efficient supply chains. With our focus on people, process and capabilities, Patheon is uniquely positioned to partner with pharma companies to achieve their objectives – cost effectively while delivering the highest quality.”