Patricia Van Arnum was executive editor of Pharmaceutical Technology.

Patricia Van Arnum

Global spending on medicines is expected to meet the $1 trillion threshold in 2014 and reach $1.2 trillion by 2017, according to a recent report by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. The report, 

The Global Use of Medicines: Outlook through 2017,

 found that growth in global spending on medicines increased 2.6% to $965 billion in 2012, and is forecast to grow at a 3–6% compound annual rate over the next five years. 

IMS projects a gradual increase in global medicine spending growth during the next five years. Annual growth in spending is expected to rise from 2–3% in 2013 to 5–7%  in 2017, the highest pace of growth since 2009. The single largest impact on growth levels is the continuing effect of many blockbuster drugs coming off patent and an increase in lower-cost generic alternatives. In addition, the gradual return of global growth in gross domestic product to more than 4% by 2017 will contribute to an upward trend in medicine spending levels. 

Specialty medicines will be the single largest contributor to branded drug spending growth through 2017, according to IMS. Spending on specialty medicines is expected to reach $230–240 billion in 2017, up 38% from the $171 billion spent in 2012. In developed markets, growth in spending for specialty drugs is expected to increase 30% during the next five years to reach $190–200 billion. In pharmerging markets, the use of specialty medicines is limited, but spending is expected to rise by nearly 90% through 2017, to $40–50 billion annually.

“As we pass the fifth anniversary of the global economic slowdown, and with many countries moving toward universal health coverage, we expect to see continued divergence in growth rates between the pharmerging and developed markets,” said Murray Aitken, executive director of the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, in  IMS press release. “Austerity measures aimed at medicine budgets along with the growing availability of lower-cost generics will lead to annual spending growth of 1–4% among the markets of North America, Europe, and Japan. In contrast, pharmerging nations will experience 10–13% spending growth. 

Articles

Annual growth in spending for medicines is expected to rise from 2-3% in 2013 to 5-7% in 2017, the highest pace of growth since 2009.

Pharmaceutical Industry Growth Rebounds in Five-Year Outlook

 (GSK) announced that it would build a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in India. During a visit to India in mid-November, GSK CEO Sir Andrew Witty said the location of the new factory is yet to be finalized, but that the lead site is in Bangalore.

The new Rs. 864 crore ($138 million) factory is GSK’s latest commitment to its manufacturing network in India where the company has invested Rs. 1017 crore ($162 million) over the last decade. When complete, the new factory will make pharmaceutical products for the Indian market at a rate of up eight billion tablets and one billion capsules a year. The facility, expected to be operational by 2017, will also include a warehouse, site infrastructure, and utilities to support the manufacturing and packing of the medicines.

Around 8500 people work in India for GSK. The company has the following factories in India: three for consumer healthcare products (Nabha, Sonepat, and Rajahmundry), one for vaccines packaging, and one for pharmaceuticals products, both located in Nashik.

GlaxoSmithKline will build a new solid dosage manufacturing facility in India.

GlaxoSmithKline Invests in India

	Progress in delivery science, manufacturing technologies, and commercialization are playing critical roles in advancing the development of complex parenteral drug formulations for new drug substances having a variety of formulation challenges. Unique formulation strategies and solutions are being investigated to extend the release of target peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules for systemic, local, or cellular delivery. 

“Complex Parenteral Formulations for the Delivery of Peptides, Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Small Molecules

,” on Thursday Nov. 21 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM EST, to examine the delivery science and product development of complex parenteral formulations.

	The webcast will examine formulation design and fabrication technologies used to make extended-release parenteral formulations for systematic and local delivery of peptides, proteins, and small molecules. Dosage forms to be discussed will include bioabsorbable microparticles and implants. The webcast also will examine siRNA drug delivery by exploring advances in achieving human proof of concept for RNA interference and defining opportunities to develop nucleic acid-based medicines. Delivery approaches and related clinical applications will be examined for lipid nanoparticles, targeted conjugates, and polymer conjugates.

	Panelists for the webcast will be Thomas Tice, PhD, senior director of global technical marketing with Evonik Corporation, and Mark Tracy, PhD, president of BioConsulting LLC. Dr. Tice is internationally recognized for research in drug delivery and has lectured on the topic throughout the world. His specialties include microencapsulation, implants, controlled release and medical applications of bioabsorbable polymers. In particular, he is known for his accomplishments involving injectable, extended-release microparticles made with bioabsorbable lactide/glycolide polymers designed to release pharmaceuticals. He led the team that developed the first commercial, injectable microparticle product, which was a one-month LHRH formulation indicated for the treatment of prostate cancer (Decapeptyl® SR) and that is still on the market today. Dr. Tice also serves on the United States Pharmacopeia General Chapters-Dosage Forms Expert Committee. Dr. Tracy has played a key role in successfully bringing nine new protein, peptide, nucleic acid, and small-molecule-based medicines to the clinic utilizing the latest advances in drug delivery technology, including several that were commercialized. He is a past president of the Controlled Release Society and is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

	Viewers will be able to ask questions of the panelists in a dedicated Q&A session during the live webcast. Additional information, including how to register for the live webcast, 

“Complex Parenteral Formulations for the Delivery of Peptides, Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Small Molecules,”

 on Thursday Nov. 21 from 10:00 to 11:00 EST may be found 

 The webcast will also be available on November 28 from 10:00-11:00 AM Central European Time (CET).

Progress in delivery science, manufacturing technologies, and commercialization are playing critical roles in advancing the development of complex parenteral drug formulations for new drug substances having a variety of formulation challenges

Delivering Complex Parenteral Formulations

 Former US President Jimmy Carter joined Pfizer at the company's headquarters on Nov. 5, 2013 to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), an independent, not-for-profit program dedicated to the elimination of blinding trachoma as a public health concern. Trachoma is an infectious eye disease that is a leading cause of blindness in the developing world. Pfizer has provided hundreds of millions of doses of the antibiotic Zithromax (azithromycin) to help the global campaign wipe out blinding trachoma by the year 2020.

Pfizer, through the ITI, has donated more than 340 million doses of the antibiotic to date to prevent and treat trachoma in support of the World Health Organization(WHO)-led Global Alliance for the Elimination of Trachoma by the year 2020. ITI has managed the distribution of the antibiotic to 28 countries in Africa and Asia since 1998. Approximately 320 million people worldwide are at risk for contracting trachoma, with about 7 million suffering from the advanced, blinding stage of the disease.

“The Pfizer donation of Zithromax was momentous in trachoma control, and The Carter Center was pleased to go to scale in trachoma-endemic countries to get the medicine into the villages and demonstrate the world could end blinding trachoma,” President Carter said during a celebration with partners, nongovernmental organizations,  and Pfizer employees at the company’s headquarters in Manhattan.“The progress and success of the trachoma campaign is something every Pfizer colleague can be proud of. Through the 15-year partnership, millions of people worldwide will be spared the injustice, indignity, and pain of their eyelashes scratching and scarring their eyes,” added President Carter.

 On Nov. 10, 2013, the 100 millionth Carter Center-assisted dose of Zithromax was scheduled to be distributed in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia, during a celebration with the Ethiopian government, Pfizer, ITI, the Lions Clubs International Foundation, Lions of Ethiopia, and other partners. The Amhara Region is thought to be the most trachoma-endemic area in the world, and the partners are working to demonstrate that blinding trachoma can be eliminated from a highly endemic country.

The Carter Center, together with the Ministry of Health and other partners in Ethiopia, has helped demonstrate that community-directed infrastructures for preventing trachoma can mobilize millions of people to accept treatment and adopt behavior changes to improve their own lives, even in remote areas where there is limited access to basic medical care, water, and sanitation. The international trachoma campaign uses the SAFE strategy, approved by the WHO, to prevent and treat trachoma. SAFE stands for: Surgery to prevent blindness; Antibiotics to treat active infections; Facial cleanliness; and Environmental improvements, such as latrines, to reduce the breeding grounds of flies that help spread the disease. Using these interventions, Ghana, Morocco, Oman, Vietnam, Iran, and The Gambia have all achieved success against this infection. Mali, Niger, and Sudan also are on track to make significant inroads in their fight against blinding trachoma by 2015. 

“We are honored to have President Carter join Pfizer to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the ITI program and gratified about the progress that has been made toward eliminating blinding trachoma as a public health concern,” said Pfizer Chairman and CEO Ian Read. “Pfizer joins President Carter and others in envisioning a world where blinding trachoma has been eliminated. I speak for the entire Pfizer community in reiterating our desire, along with partners like The Carter Center and ITI, to helping end the suffering by 2020."

Former President Jimmy Carter and Pfizer mark milestone for long-standing partnership to combat trachoma in the developing world.

Pfizer, Carter Center Partner in Global Health Project

A recent analysis of the Chemical Pharmaceutical Generic Association (CPA), which represents Italian generic API manufacturers, points to strong growth for the pharmaceutical contract research and manufacturing services (PCRAMS) industry. The overall world PCRAMS industry, which includes revenues from both contract research organizations (CROs) and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), was valued at $72 billion in 2012, up from $21 billion in 2000. Contract manufacturing accounted for two-thirds of the  2012 market, or $47 billion, and contract research the remaining $25 billion, according to the CPA report, 

Of the global contract manufacturing business, contract manufacturing of APIs and intermediates accounted for the largest sector for contract manufacturing  at 64% or $30 billion. Contract manufacturing of finished dosage forms accounted for 9.6% or $4.5 billion, according to the CPA analysis. Development of finished dosage forms accounts for approximately 15% of the contract manufacturing market, or $7 billion, and packaging/labeling and other services represent the remainder or $5.5 billion. 

Of the  market for contract manufacturing of APIs and intermediates, custom synthesis (mainly focused on new, branded APIs) accounts for 40% or $12 billion, and toll manufacturing for  the remaining 60% or $18 billion. For purposes of the analysis, “custom synthesis” denotes when a company outsources the manufacturing of an intermediate or API without indicating the operational modalities. “Toll manufacturing” denotes when the production of the intermediate or API is carried out by the external suppler according to operational modalities established by the sponsor company. 

Overall, the global PCRAMS market is forecast to grow at an average of 13.6% yearly over the next five years to reach $136 billion by 2017 from $72 billion in 2012, according to the CPA analysis. The global CRO business is expected to increase from $25 billion to $43 billion in 2017, representing average yearly growth of 11.4%, according to CPA. The global CMO business is projected to increase from $47 billion in 2012 to $93 billion in 2017, an average of 14.6% in yearly growth, according to CPA estimates. 

Asia Pacific will show the strongest growth in the global PCRAMS market, with particularly strong growth for India and China. The share held by India in the world PCRAMS market will nearly triple in the next five years, and by 2017, India will be the second largest market for PCRAMS, accounting for 21.3% of the global market compared to only 8.3% in 2012. India will only be surpassed by the United States, which is expected to hold almost 25% (24.9%) of the global PCRAMS market in 2017 compared to a share of 33.7% in 2012. Just as the US market’s share in the global PCRAMS market will decline so will the share of Western Europe from 25.0% in 2012 to 17.1% in 2017. China’s share of the global PCRAMS  market will increase from 12.2% in 2012 to 19.2% by 2017, according to the CPA analysis. 

Overall growth in the market for pharmaceutical contract research and manufacturing is strong although growth in established markets erodes at the expense of emerging markets.

A Strong Outlook for Global Pharma Outsourcing

A review of activity thus far in 2013 shows measured investment by fine- chemical companies, contract manufacturers of APIs and intermediates,  CDMOs, and CMOs of finished product manufacturing. High-potency manufacturing continues to be an active area of investment on both the API and finished product side. For CDMOs and CMOs of finished product manufacturing, there have been several partnerships in drug-solubilization as well as investments in lyophilization and sterile manufacturing and aseptic processing. 

Fine-chemical companies and contract API manufacturers expand 

Among recent developments, Siegfried is proceeding with a new 300-m

 production plant in Nantong, China. The company broke ground for the new facility in July 2013. The plant will begin commercial production in mid-2014 and employ a workforce of about 300 by 2015. Siegfried is also proceeding with the construction of a new 100-m

 chemical plant in Zofingen, Switzerland. The new building will replace several older plants at the Zofingen site that no longer comply with efficiency requirements and generate high maintenance expenses. The two plants in Nantong and Zofingen are based on an identical technical concept to facilitate product transfers from a regulatory and technical perspective. A new administration building also will be erected in Zofingen. The new offices will be ready for occupation in the second half of 2015. 

Cedarburg Hauser Pharmaceuticals upgraded its API plant in Grafton, Wisconsin. The upgraded facilities are expected to increase API production by 20–25%. Improvements to the plant include the addition of a 30-ton process chiller, an additional 200-kilowatt backup generator, and an industrial vacuum pump. The company also tripled its filtration capacity through the addition of new, large Aurora filters. 

In September 2013, International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) agreed to acquire Allessa, a manufacturer of fine chemicals intermediates and specialty chemicals, headquartered in Frankfurt with production sites in Frankfurt’s vicinity in Fechenheim, Griesheim, and Hoechst. Allessa has more than 890 employees and an internal training center of more than 70 apprentices employed by the company.  The WeylChem Group, ICIG’s non-GMP fine chemicals platform, operates its plants in Griesheim and Hoechst as well, which also used to belong to the former Hoechst conglomerate, and any future cooperation between Allessa and the WeylChem Group, under one ownership, would result in additional synergies. 

Earlier in 2013, ICIG agreed to acquire from the Solvay Group Peptisyntha SA, the Brussels-based custom manufacturer of peptides. Upon closing of the deal, expected this fall, Peptisyntha will become a member of ICIG’s CordenPharma platform as its third site offering peptide manufacturing. Although the US sister company Peptisyntha Inc., located in Torrance, California, is not part of the transaction, certain customer relationships will be assumed by Peptisyntha in Brussels. 

Johnson Matthey’s Catalysis and Chiral Technologies business unit is expanding its existing specialty ligand manufacturing capability to include commercial-scale manufacturing up to 100 kg. The expansion is largely focused on the Buchwald ligands from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.The Buchwald ligands are a class of bulky and electron-rich dialkylbiaryl monophosphine ligands, which are used for the 

generation of active catalysts. These ligands are used for coupling reactions in the manufacture of both pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals and are more commonly offered at a research scale for use in the laboratory, according to the company. This is the third recent investment by the company, which has made investments at facilities in Taloja, India, last year and has further expansion underway in Royston, United Kingdom. 

In February 2013, Albemarle announced that its fine-chemistry services  business approved and began construction on another expansion of its Tyrone, Pennsylvania custom manufacturing facility. The $30-million expansion adds new capacity to the site for custom manufacturing projects, but also improves the infrastructure to allow for future expansions. The expansion follows an earlier expansion that began operation in November 2012. The first increment of new capacity will be operational late in the first quarter of 2014. 

Saltigo reported that it successfully passed a FDA inspection for its API production unit in Leverkusen, Germany and all the associated facilities. Also, Saltigo moved its corporate headquarters from Langenfeld to Leverkusen. The relocation of Saltigo’s corporate headquarters is part of a series of moves following the transfer of its parent company, Lanxess, headquarters to Cologne. In Leverkusen, business units and group functions from 11 different office buildings will move into four buildings belonging to Lanxess by the end of January 2014. 

In October 2013, DSM opened a new cGMP facility for biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing in Brisbane, Australia. The facility was built in partnership with Biopharmaceuticals Australia with cooperation from the government of Queensland and the Commonwealth of Australia. 

Companies also are partnering to expand capabilities. Cambridge Major Laboratories, a provider of pharmaceutical API development and manufacturing, and the CDMO/CMO AAIPharma Services agreed to merge in October 2013. Patrick D. Walsh was named as the CEO of the merged company. The combined company forms a supplier of integrated chemistry manufacturing and control (CMC) services, including process chemistry, solid state chemistry, API manufacturing, formulation development, analytical development and testing services, clinical and commercial finished dosage-form manufacturing (oral solid and sterile), and packaging and stability services.

Earlier this year, DSM Pharmaceutical Products signed a collaboration agreement with Chemtrix in the field of continuous flow chemistry. The collaboration is intended to provide equipment, development, and manufacturing services to the pharmaceutical industry. Also, Almac completed its knowledge-transfer partnership with Queens University Belfast, which was intended to develop, improve, and embed bioprocesses to facilitate the delivery of products for its biocatalysis business. The overall partnership aim was to allow technology transfer of fermentation and molecular/microbiology expertise from Queens University to Almac. Almac met the specific partnership objectives by not only sharing a program of work with academics at Queens, but also by attending training courses organized through University College London and embedding key learning back into the company. 

In February 2013, AMRI and Codexis formed  a SMARTSOURCING partnership. The collaboration will provide opportunities to combine the two companies’ capabilities and technologies for specific customer projects. Under the nonexclusive, two-year agreement, the companies will align their respective strengths to identify and implement new and improved manufacturing routes for select APIs with Codexis contributing directed evolution technology that enables enzyme discovery and optimization with AMRI’s process development and manufacturing capabilities, including using AMRI’s proprietary microbial strains.

Several companies are expanding capabilities in high-potency manufacturing, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). For example, Sigma-Aldrich's custom-manufacturing services business unit, SAFC Commercial is expanding two of its manufacturing facilities in the United State: The company is  investing in commercial-scale manufacturing capacity for ADCs at its facility in St. Louis, Missouri and is expanding its high-potency API (HPAPI) manufacturing and storage capacity at its facility in Verona, Wisconsin. Additional commercial-scale manufacturing capacity has also been designed to accommodate future growth in demand for ADC production. 

Carbogen Amcis is investing $4 million to expand its cleanroom clinical-supply facility at its Bubendorf, Switzerland. The Bubendorf facility features a new 100-m

 ADC cleanroom suite for the development and production of ADC clinical material under cGMP and contains Grade D and Grade C areas to allow aseptic and safe handling of highly potent material at occupational exposure limit values (OELs) below 1 µg/m

 at 8-hour time weighted average (8h-TWA). In 2012, Carbogen Amcis and ADC Biotechnology (ADC Bio) partnered for ADC development and manufacturing services. 

In January 2013, Lonza announced plans to invest CHF 14 million ($15 million) to expand ADC manufacturing capacity at its site in Visp, Switzerland. The expansion of the ADC facility will double the company's existing large-scale manufacturing capacity in Visp. The expansion is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2014.

In October 2012, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies formed a strategic alliance with Piramal for ADC production, whereby the two parties will offer contract development and manufacture of ADCs. Piramal offers ADC production at its site in Grangemouth, Scotland. Piramal recently invested $2.5 million at is Grangemouth site to upgrade one of its ADC manufacturing sites from clinical phase to commercial grade. The upgrade gives Piramal two commercial grade ADC suites at the Grangemouth facility while retaining clinical phase manufacturing capacity in other suites on site. 

 Investment in formulation development and finished product manufacturing

Dow Chemical and Cambrex have opened a new facility for Dow’s hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) for drug solubility enhancement at Cambrex’s site in Karlskoga, Sweden. The Cambrex Karlskoga expansion began in early 2013. The facility completion and start of the HPMCAS product validation is part of the solubilization partnership between Dow and Bend Research, announced in October 2012. Beginning in 2014, Dow will be able to commercially supply solubility enabling excipients. 

Colorcon and Evonik have formed  a cooperation agreement for the market promotion and technical support of the Acryl-EZE aqueous acrylic enteric system. The Acryl-EZE system, used for the application of an enteric film coating for oral solid dosage forms, was originally codeveloped by the two companies. It combines Evonik’s enteric polymer, EUDRAGIT L 100-55, with a fully or partially formulated coating system from Colorcon. Prior to this new cooperation agreement, the product was produced, distributed, marketed, and supported solely by Colorcon to the pharmaceutical industry. From now on, customers with enteric coating projects will have access to nine technology centers of Evonik and twenty technical services laboratories of Colorcon globally.

The Controlled Release Alliance between Colorcon and Dow Pharma and Food Solutions has introduced new grades of flowing METHOCEL Premium Cellulose Ethers for direct compression and dry-granulation applications. METHOCEL DC2 is the latest addition to cellulose ethers manufactured by Dow. It is designed to enhance material flow from the blender to the tablet press through a proprietary technology to change the fibrous morphology of traditional METHOCEL materials to a more spherical shape to form an easy-flowing powder. 

Capsugel’s Dosage Form Solutions business unit will upgrade and expand three of its manufacturing facilities in the United States and Europe. The multimillion-dollar investments broaden the company’s global capabilities to handle hormonal as well as high-potent compounds for soft gelatin and liquid-fill hard capsules. The expansions are part of the implementation of its Lipidex technology platform, which was launched in June 2013. 

. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal is expected to close at the end of 2013. The merger will add areas such as sterile manufacturing and the production of special active ingredients, including hormones, antibiotics and cytostatics, to Aenova’s existing range of solid, semisolid, and liquid dosage forms. The Aenova Group’s existing production network will increase from eight to 21 sites. In addition to new production facilities in Germany (Berlin, Brackenheim, Münster, Gronau, Regensburg, and Wolfratshausen) and in Europe, Aenova will also acquire its first site in Asia (Japan). The number of employees will increase from 2500 to more than 4000. 

The CDMO Aesica plans opening a new inhalation Lead Technical Center by the end of 2014. Aesica also extended its aseptic capabilities at its site in Nottingham, the United Kingdom with the acquisition of new prefilled-syringes manufacturing equipment capable of processing 5000 units/batch. This latest addition is undergoing validation via process simulation, and validation is expected to be completed by January 2014.

Aesica is expanding its aseptic capabilities at its site in Nottingham, United Kingdom with new prefilled syringes manufacturing equipment capable of processing 5000 units/batch. The equipment is currently undergoing validation through process simulation trials. The company’s total investment is more than £500,000 ($797,395), and  completion of the validation process is expected to be completed by January 2014. The company’s new equipment also enables production of other product forms, such as pen and cartridge syringes and nasal devices. Over the next three years, Aesica is targeting production of 900,000 units and is in advanced discussions with one company for the scale-up of a clinical trial product for which a joint validation is pending.

Almac reported several recent developments. In January 2013, Almac completed the doubling of its pharmaceutical development service capabilities with the opening of a new dedicated non-GMP facility and two analytical laboratories at its UK headquarters. In parallel to the new non-GMP facility, Almac doubled its analytical capacity with new analytical laboratories for processing large sample sets that result from non-GMP process development work for clients who seek to better understand their processes in line with the principles of quality by design. Additionally, in response to increased demand for preclinical and early-phase clinical GMP supply, Almac added to its pharmaceutical development offering with an investment in additional Xcelodose technology, which provides the capability to dose potent APIs directly into capsules. Also, Novozymes Biopharma, part of Novozymes, has formed a new collaboration with Almac to provide a combined service for drug-development applications in the field of drug targeting and pharmacokinetic improvements. The collaboration will combined Almac’s manufacturing assets and protein conjugation capability to link Novozymes’ Recombumin Flex technology to peptide and small-molecule drugs. Collaborations with commercial partners have already begun and will continue to expand in early 2014.

IDT Biologika, a producer of proprietary and third-party biopharmaceuticals and viral and bacterial vaccines, and Oncotec Pharma Produktion announced investments for increasing their respective production capacities. IDT will invest an additional EUR 40 million ($55 million) in its vaccine and parenteral sterile fill-and-finish capacities in syringes, vials, lyophilization and packaging at its BioPharmaPark, located in Dessau-Roβlau. Among the upgrades are serialization and anticounterfeiting capabilities. In September 2013, IDT started up its new production capacity dedicated to sterile parenteral drug products, including vaccines and biologics, having completed an expansion project announced in 2011. Capacity to manufacture vial-based products in liquid and lyophilized form will increase to 60 million units per year. Oncotec Pharma Produktion, a pharmaceutical manufacturing partner of aseptically produced cytostatic drug products, recently announced an EUR 30-million ($41-million) investment to expand sterile parenteral oncology drug manufacturing capacity within IDT’s BioPharmaPark. The expansion projects are expected to be completed in 2016. 

Vetter is investing more than $100 million across its production sites in Germany and the United States to expand and upgrade its facilities to expand filling capacity. Two new filling lines are currently being designed for Vetter's Ravensburg South facility in Germany. The new lines will fill liquid cartridges and vials and will add to the production site’s current lines, one of which is a syringe line that was launched in the spring of 2013. At Vetter’s US clinical manufacturing facility in Chicago, a third filling line for prefilled syringes is nearing completion. Expected to be operational in 2014, the new clinical line will have a maximum batch size of 30,000. 

A roundup of expansion activity of manufacturing capacity and service offerings from fine-chemical producers, CDMOs, and CMOs.