Q: What do you see as being the most innovative technologies introduced in 2017? Why were they important? What impacts did they have?
A: The market for specialized injectable medicines continues to move toward high-value products with smaller batch sizes and less campaigning, including the capability to process personalized medicine. In 2017, drug manufacturers exhibited new qualified systems capable of highly flexible, efficient and compliant fill-finish technologies to meet these challenges.
On a small scale, compact robotic fillers within aseptic isolators enable safe delivery of just a few vials of a unique drug tailored to one person. At larger scales, flexible fillers allow manufacturers to process vials, syringes and cartridges, including lyophilized products, all on one footprint. In parallel to improving equipment capability, drug manufacturers and suppliers have partnered to increase the availability of ready-to-fill components to make flexibility possible. These collaborations not only provide competitive advantage for trailblazing market leaders, but their efforts also benefit the industry at large, which can immediately utilize these advances.
The trend of isolated filling systems to be more compact and affordable, a result of the above developments, affects the future of our industry. Capital-lean manufacturers historically delaying investment upgrades in legacy facilities with traditional clean rooms will have the opportunity to upgrade to state-of-the-art processes in smaller spaces at a lower cost. Upgrade of aging facilities will ultimately benefit patients.
To read more go to https://www.pharmasalmanac.com/articles/what-do-you-see-as-being-the-most-innovative-technologies-introduced-in-2017
