People and Places
Construction starts on the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre CPI has announced the start of construction at the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
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he new technology and innovation centre is set to become a unique and world-leading facility offering transformative solutions in small molecule and pharmaceutical manufacturing. It will accelerate the development and industrialisation of next-generation medicines, manufacturing innovations and maximise technology opportunities within the medicines supply chain. Industry, academia, healthcare providers and regulators will work collaboratively within a GMP environment to address industry challenges and de-risk new technologies, providing a clear pathway for their widespread adoption within the pharmaceutical industry. The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is a collaboration between CPI, the University of Strathclyde and founding industry partners GSK and AstraZeneca, with funding provided by Scottish Enterprise and UK Research and Innovation. The Centre has recently agreed partnerships with four leading technology companies to further strengthen the range of expertise in the collaboration.
The facility will translate, at industrial and commercial scale, novel techniques for producing patient-centric medicines, including real-time release of drugs and integrated process analytics to drive the transformation of medicines manufacturing. These technologies will enable a reduction in quantities of the materials currently required in process development; accelerate timelines to achieve just-in-time, right-first-time and real-timerelease manufacturing principles; and ultimately accelerate access of affordable medicines for healthcare providers and patients.
Companies of all sizes will be able to use the facility to evaluate, test and prototype processes using an array of advanced Industry 4.0 manufacturing technologies, including continuous, digital and autonomous manufacturing. The utilisation of nextgeneration technology will enable more efficient drug production to protect future generations by bringing new medicines to market safely and quickly. The facility is due for completion in late 2021 and will be operational in early 2022. It is expected to eventually house over 80 staff in both technical and non-technical roles. Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, said: “As strategic partners in the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, the University of Strathclyde is utilising its research, innovation and internationallyleading experience and expertise in advanced medicines manufacturing to meet the biggest health challenges facing our world. We are delighted to be working in collaboration with our partners across industry, academia, government and healthcare to accelerate and transform the medicines manufacturing process. We are excited to see construction begin on what will be a distinctive and important asset to the Glasgow City region and to Scotland.” Jon-Paul Sherlock, Technology Strategy Lead at AstraZeneca, commented: “Manufacturing innovation is critical to future pharmaceutical supply chains. Molecules are more complex, development times shorter and the expectations of patients and healthcare
systems higher than ever before. However, for a highly regulated industry, innovation is risky and potentially expensive. This facility will enable close collaboration between industry, government and academia and will be a gamechanger, resulting in faster industrialisation and implementation of exciting new opportunities.” Dave Tudor, Managing Director of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, Quality and Biologics at CPI, said: “We are thrilled to be starting the construction of this new, collaborative centre. The consortium is already working together on several ambitious projects with the aim to de-risk disruptive technology that can lower the cost of drug development. Live projects include a digitally-twinned continuous direct compression platform to increase the productivity of drug product manufacture, and an automated platform to enable just-in-time supply for clinical trials which will drastically cut lead times. We look forward to bringing that technology and cross-sector expertise to these new facilities.” Frank Millar, CEO at CPI, added: “Ageing populations, the increasing cost of drug development, and resource constraints impeding the adoption of emergent technologies are just some of the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry today. The increasing financial burden on the healthcare system as a whole has led to a pressing need for more cost-effective medication. By connecting the dots between academia, government, industry and healthcare providers within this state-of-the-art centre, we can address these issues and transform the pharmaceutical supply chain for the future.” www.uk-cpi.com
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