Solvias and RohnerChem team on API development and manufacturing

04-Oct-2011 - Last updated on 06-Dec-2023 at 11:49 GMT

Solvias and RohnerChem have set up a research and manufacturing services partnership designed to accelerate the production, scale-up and commercialisation of APIs.

The idea is to combine Solvias’ chemistry, analytical services and solid-state development offering with RohnerChem’s scale up and commercial manufacturing capabilities for the development and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for drug industry clients.

The new non-exclusive accord builds on a ‘long history’ of collaboration between the firms according to Solvias CEO Hansjorg Walther who told in-Pharmatechnologist.com that customers stand to benefit from a single point of contact for project management.

He highlighted “use of high throughput screening (HTS) in route screening, optimized interfaces within project work, no loss of know-how and information in a tech-transfer, process development focused on a suitable process for an industrial scale” as some of the advantages.

Walther went on to explain that: “Joint project quotes will be based on the focused project management and the optimized up-scaling process which will result in cost savings for the customer.”

He also forecast that the partnership with fellow Switzerland-based firm RohnerChem would generate additional business for Solvias, suggesting that: “As a first step we should see an increase of at least 10 per cent.”

Much of the analytical chemistry and API development work generated by the partnership will be conducted at the laboratory facility Solvias opened in January with RohnerChem carrying out scale-up and production at its plant in Pratteln, near Basel.

Solvias has no plans to increase its workforce to service the collaboration according to Walther, who said: “We streamlined our capacity and focused our expertise, so that we are ready to grow by increasing our productivity with the existing workforce.”

He also rejected the suggestion the firms’ close working relationship could evolve into a more permanent arrangement or even an acquisition, telling in-Pharmatechnologist.com that: “A merger would only make sense, if there would be additional benefits for both companies.”