The contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) has installed an Anhydro MicraSpray 35 unit at its plant in Austin, Texas in a move that CEO Gregory McKee said is part of a strategic focus on poorly soluble compounds.
He explained that: "Spray drying further enables us to better serve our clients by offering another proven…technology to enhance bioavailability and accelerate their drug development programs."
The addition of spray-drying capacity is the latest in a wide-ranging restructuring programme at PharmaForm since the merger of parent company Akela Pharma with Nventa Biopharmaceuticals in May.
In September, PharmaForm reduced its workforce by 65 employees, set out plans to close some of its international units and consolidate its US operations in a bid to enhance its client support infrastructure.
Contract spray-drying
The suggestion that demand for spray-drying’s bioavailability enhancing characteristics is supported by the fact that, in the last few weeks, two other companies have launched contract services focused on this type of processing.
Late last month, production machine specialist GEA Niro opened a contract spray-drying “test centre” offering drug industry customers clinical trial supply manufacture and early-stage process development.
The facility also allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to conduct spray-drying process development for subsequent application in their own manufacturing plants.
A few days later Portuguese contract active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) maker Hovione bought an aseptic spray-drying line from US drugmaker Acusphere to bolster the offering of its particle design business (PDB).