Event Date: November 30, 2023
Global leaders in process technology and pharmaceutical manufacturing, GEA and Hovione, recently announced their strategic partnership aimed at advancing continuous tableting within the pharmaceutical industry. This collaboration will not only streamline drug production but also enhance the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of pharmaceutical manufacturing.
GEA’s Strategic Business Director, Philip Gabb and Hovione’s VP, Technology Intensification, Filipe Gaspar, will be delivering a presentation on their collaboration at the ISPE UK Affiliate conference in Coventry on 30th November.
ISPE Central region committee member and S3 Process Director, Steve Boswell, explains why they selected this topic for the conference:
‘This presentation is an ideal way to communicate the message that continuous technologies have transitioned from being an evolving, ground-breaking, strategy to a reality, and are now offering companies that have adopted this method of manufacturing huge advantages. Continuous manufacturing has emerged as a game-changer for the pharmaceutical industry, offering numerous advantages over traditional batch processes. GEA and Hovione can share their knowledge and expertise to encourage others to adopt this new, effective approach to manufacturing’.
Key benefits of continuous manufacturing include:
- Enhanced Product Quality: Continuous manufacturing allows for real-time monitoring and control of processes, reducing variability and ensuring consistent tablet quality. This minimizes the risk of product defects and recalls, ultimately improving patient safety.
- Efficiency and Speed: Continuous tableting significantly reduces the time required to produce pharmaceuticals. This increased efficiency results in quicker time-to-market for new drugs, reducing costs and helping patients access life-changing medications sooner.
- Sustainability: Continuous manufacturing is inherently more sustainable, as it reduces waste and resource consumption compared to batch processes. This partnership between GEA and Hovione reflects a shared commitment to environmental responsibility in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Flexibility and Scalability: Continuous manufacturing offers greater flexibility in production, making it easier to adapt to changing market demands. Scalability is also simplified, allowing pharmaceutical companies to adjust production volumes more easily.
- Regulatory Compliance: Continuous manufacturing is increasingly favored by regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). GEA and Hovione’s collaboration ensures that pharmaceutical manufacturers will have access to the latest technologies and expertise to meet evolving regulatory requirements.
Dr. Markus Asbeck, Executive Vice President of GEA’s Pharma and Healthcare Division, commented on the partnership, saying, “We are thrilled to partner with Hovione to accelerate the adoption of continuous tableting in the pharmaceutical industry. This collaboration will leverage our cutting-edge process technology and Hovione’s deep expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing to create innovative solutions that improve patient access to high-quality medicines.”
Guy Villax, CEO of Hovione, added, “Continuous manufacturing is the future of pharmaceutical production, and our partnership with GEA is a major step toward realizing that vision. We are committed to developing more sustainable and efficient processes for our industry, and this partnership underscores that commitment.”
Both GEA and Hovione have a long history of providing world-class solutions to the pharmaceutical industry. By joining forces, they aim to accelerate the adoption of continuous manufacturing and offer pharmaceutical companies the tools and expertise they need to revolutionize their production processes.