The latest news from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers featuring news from Schott, PCI Pharma Services, Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services, LBB Specialties, and Meggle.

Chemicals/Chemical API Manufacturing

Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services To Buy Out JV in India

Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services, a contract development and manufacturing services of small- and large-molecules and drug products, has announced its intention to purchase the remaining 50% ownership interest in its Visakhapatnam, India joint venture, Granules OmniChem Private Limited (GOC), from its joint venture partner, Granules India Limited. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The GOC joint venture was formed in 2011 by S.A. Ajinomoto OmniChem N.V. (now doing business as Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services) and Granules India Limited to provide small-molecule intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing.

Conclusion of this transaction is subject to fulfillment of certain closing conditions and customary government approvals. Closing is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter 2019.

Source: Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services

Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing 

LBB Specialties Partners with Meggle for Excipients in the US

LBB Specialties, a specialty chemical and ingredients distribution company, through its subsidiaries, has agreed to distribute excipient products with Meggle Excipients & Technology, a German excipients manufacturer.

Effective August 1, 2019, LBB Specialties and its subsidiaries, American International Chemical and Charkit Chemical Company, share responsibility for the sales, marketing and distribution efforts for Meggle products in the US market.

Meggle provides lactose-based excipients for direct compression and granulation tableting, powder preparations, and dry-powder inhalation.

Source: LBB Specialties

Packaging

PCI Pharma Services Invests in Clinical Services Facility Near Dublin, Ireland

PCI Pharma Services, a contract development and manufacturing organization and packager, has invested in a new clinical packaging facility near Dublin, Ireland. Upon completion, the facility will provide more than 75,000 square feet of space and serve as a primary and secondary packaging, storage, logistics and distribution center.

PCI says the expansion will take place over the coming months and will bring additional controlled-room-temperature and cold-chain storage capabilities as well as clinical packaging services.

PCI already has a footprint in Dublin, Ireland following the acquisition of Millmount Healthcare in 2017. The facility, which is licensed by the Health Products Regulatory Authority, offers clinical storage and distribution for the shipment of investigation medicinal products to sites based within the European Union and globally. Additional services at the site include cold-chain handling, packaging and storage capabilities for clinical and commercial products and serialization capability, as well as an analytical release-testing laboratory.

PCI’s clinical network includes sites with mirrored capabilities in Bridgend, UK; Rockford, Illinois; San Diego, California; and Melbourne, Australia.

Source: PCI Pharma Services 

Schott Breaks Ground for New Pharmaceutical Glass Tubing Plant in China

Schott, a German technology company specializing in specialty glass, glass-ceramics and related high-tech materials, has broken ground on a pharmaceutical glass tubing plant in Jinyun, Zhejiang, China. Schott says the new plant will supply the Chinese domestic pharmaceutical packaging market.

Schott is investing EUR 60 million ($66 million) in the first phase to install yearly capacity of up to 20,000 tons. Production is scheduled to start at the end of 2020.

The new facility will manufacture the company’s Fiolax glass tubing, which is a 5.0 middle borosilicate glass. Schott says the manufacturing site will support the move away from the low borosilicate glass (7.0 glass type) to the higher quality middle borosilicate glass (5.0 glass type), which is already established globally. Production will be based on Schott’s perfeXion process with 100% quality control of each individual tube in accordance with Schott tubing quality criteria.

Source: Schott