FDA clears Catalent Belgian syringe plant

Contracting giant Catalent says its pre-filled syringe facility in Brussels, Belgium has received Food and Drug Administration approval for the manufacture of products for the US market.

Richard Yarwood, group president of Catalent's Sterile Technologies segment, said: “With this first FDA product approval, we are even more strongly positioned to help our customers satisfy the fast growing US market demand for drugs and biologics in pre-filled syringe format."

In June, a report by the Freedonia Group predicted that the US market for primary pharmaceutical containers, which includes pre-fillable syringes, will be worth $9.6bn by 2012, driven by the emergence of new biologic therapies.