Aesica wins Amdipharm manufacturing contract

UK API maker and contract manufacturing organization (CMO) Aesica Pharmaceutical has landed a multi-year deal to produce and package drugs on behalf of Amdipharm.

Under the deal Aesica is providing production and packaging services for several key products including Erythrocin (erythromycin), Hytrin (terazosin) and Loftly (buflomedil) at its secondary manufacturing facility in Queenborough in the UK.

The plant houses both solid and liquid dose manufacturing capabilities for, among other things, anesthetics and controlled drugs. It also provides blister packaging, sachet production and bottling capabilities as part of Aesica’s supply chain services offering.

However, as Aesica spokesperson Maria Koustareva explained, the collaboration, which is likely to be extended to other drug products, also covers wider aspects of Amdipharm's manufacturing and distribution operations.

Koustareva told Outsourcing-pharma that: “Aesica provides comprehensive analytical, regulatory and supply chain services to support Amdipharm [and its global affiliates’] requirements.”

She added that these services will include the 2D-matrix technology that Aesica is preparing to introduce “on all cartons to keep up with the latest legislation worldwide and to prevent [the] distribution of counterfeit medicines.”

Koustareva was also upbeat about the general state of the pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market suggesting that, in Aesica’s experience, demand has continued “to grow despite the economic downturn.”

Over the last 12 months Aesica has seen an increased amount of enquiries and business opportunities for contract manufacturing finished dosage forms and providing packaging services to its customers around the world.”

In a press statement that accompanied news of the deal Amdipharm’s managing director, Mick Cullen praised his firm’s new contractor, commenting that: “We have been very pleased with our growing relationship with Aesica based on their reliability, flexibility and responsiveness.”