IPT highlights some of the most recent exciting advancements in pharmaceutical manufacturing

L.B. Bohle will showcase its of-its-kind truly continuous granulator and dryer at INTERPHEX NYC, 1-3April in New York, US. Ideal for R&D and small-scale through commercial production stages, the company’s newly enhanced QbCon 1 combines three continuous processes: raw material dosing, twin-screw wet granulation and drying. The QbCon 1 can handle throughputs from 0.5-2.5kg per hour (up to 5kg per hour for certain products), making it suitable for R&D phases involving exceedingly small quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs); at the same time, the versatile module affords efficient scale-up to commercial-level batches. QbCon 1 configurations for high-containment applications up to OEB 5 also are available.

Now available in the US, the Shockwave Javelin Peripheral Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) Catheter safely modifies and crosses occlusive or extremely narrowed calcific peripheral artery disease. It has a similar safety and efficacy profile of legacy Shockwave IVL catheters and bolsters the company’s market-leading IVL portfolio. The forward IVL platform is designed to modify calcium and cross calcified occlusive disease or extremely narrowed lesions where a wire will cross but devices might not. Shockwave Javelin has a working length of 150cm and features a single distal emitter that creates up to 120 shockwave pulses. Each shockwave pulse creates a spherical energy field that extends beyond the tip of the catheter. This novel design delivers lithotripsy closer to calcium than the balloon-based platform.

CordenPharma will invest over €500m to construct a greenfield site for smallto large-scale peptide development and manufacturing located at Getec Park within the Basel region in Muttenz, Switzerland. The decision to locate the plant near Basel is supported by several key advantages, including: efficient infrastructure, with existing systems for handling materials and processes that are crucial for state-of-the-art peptide manufacturing; optimal logistics, with streamlined access to transportation networks; established large-scale utilities already in place to support chemical manufacturing needs; and talent pool access due to close proximity to Basel – a renowned pharma and biotech hub at the crossroads of Germany, France and Switzerland – ensuring access to highly skilled professionals. Once fully operational, the Switzerland site – together with the ongoing expansions and additional greenfield capacity at CordenPharma Colorado – will significantly enhance the company’s production capabilities, solidifying CordenPharma’s position as one of the largest peptide manufacturing partners leading the CDMO peptide space.

Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) and Aston University College of Health and Life Sciences have installed a cutting-edge mass spectrometer to study biological membranes, following a grant of £1.5m from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The research team is led by Dr Ivana Milic, a lecturer in Aston University School of Biosciences and part of the multidisciplinary AIME. The new Orbitrap Ascend Tribrid mass spectrometer from Thermo Fisher Scientific is configured for the study of biological membranes in utmost detail, enabling researchers to analyse proteins and lipids, and their chemical modifications and metabolites with unmatched sensitivity, precision and speed. The team will study membrane proteins such as aquaporins, which transport water in and out of cells, which play roles in conditions like inflammation, cancer and brain injury. This knowledge could lead to the development of more effective drugs and therapies.

Contract development and manufacturing organisation Adragos Pharma has announced the completion of a €4m project to install and commission an advanced, current good manufacturing practices-compliant liquid filling line and accompanying cartoning machine at its facility in Leipzig, Germany. The new capabilities will offer nearly ten times the production capacity at the site, enabling the company to meet rising demand while maintaining the highest standards of quality, efficiency and compliance. The new line has the capacity to fill up to 13 million bottles per annum in various formats to supply pharmaceutical, cosmetic and healthcare supplement products. The installation project initially involved relocating two existing semi-solid commercial manufacturing lines at the site to new production areas, which have now been inspected and are fully operational. These lines provide flexible capabilities for the manufacturing and packaging of ointments, creams, and gels.

PerkinElmer is launching its latest laboratory solution at Pittcon 2025: the QSight 500 LC/MS/MS System for high-throughput contaminant analysis, offering industry-leading uptime, and the Spotlight Aurora FTIR Microscope for faster material characterisation. These next-generation instruments enhance productivity, improve accuracy, help laboratories meet stringent regulatory requirements and offer unmatched cost efficiencies. The QSight System is built to handle the most challenging sample matrices with unparalleled reliability and cost efficiency: advanced detection of PFAS, pesticides and emerging contaminants; contamination-resistant source; eliminates costly sample prep; streamlines sample handling; enhances throughput and data reliability. Both the Spotlight Aurora FTIR Microscope and QSight systems are designed to address critical laboratory challenge, reducing downtime, increasing productivity and ensuring data reliability. By delivering high-throughput capabilities, automated workflows and unmatched accuracy, these systems empower scientists to meet regulatory demands with fewer delays and significantly lowering operating costs.