Pfizer Partners with GSK on the Design of Continuous Manufacturing Pods

GlaxoSmithKline plans to lend its expertise in the continuous manufacture of oral solid dosage to Pfizer for a new collaborative project designing modular manufacturing units. The collaboration will build on Pfizer’s existing modular units, which were originally designed to be portable, continuous, miniature, and modular (PCMM). The goal of the partnership is the creation of modular units incorporating “superior technology,” according to a Pfizer press release.

FDA encourages the utilization of flexible continuous processing technologies. The agency says the technology supports a reduction in an operator’s handling of drugs through automation and permits online analytical testing methods.

This type of transportable facility is also important for the local production of drugs, also known as in-country manufacturing, and can reportedly help save millions of dollars in product transfer costs. In addition, a modular facility can have up to a 70% smaller footprint than a traditional facility and takes only a year to erect. Once validated, the modular units can be exploited throughout a product’s lifecycle; the same equipment is used for drug development, clinical trials, and commercial manufacturing phases.

Source: Pfizer