Hovione adds inhalation product development tech at former Generis site
The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturer has installed an MG2 Tekna Precision Capsule filling unit in Loures, Portugal to boost its inhalation product development capabilities.
According to the firm, the machine adds capacity for up to 110,000 capsules per hour and will add scale to the facility’s Phase I and Phase II clinical trial encapsulation units, namely a MG2 Flexalab and Mettler-Toledo Quantos.
“This will allow us to support our customer’s inhalation projects at all scales and contribute to accelerate drug development and manufacturing timelines,” said Filipe Gaspar, VP of R&D at Hovione.
Frédéric Kahn, VP of Marketing and Sales added it was “driven by significant client demand, since the market is looking for integrated inhalation product development solutions that reduce program risk and complexity.”
According to the manufacturer Tekna, the MG2 “can perfectly meet the requirements of customers who want to produce, with the highest accuracy, hard shell capsules filled with powder (even low dosages without compactation),” and is specifically designed for when containment and/or Wet-in-Place/WiP/CiP requirements are needed.
While the cost of the equipment was not given, the investment forms part of a $10m refurbishment of the site in Loures, acquired from generic pharmaceutical company Generis in 2015.
