The new site – which was officially inaugurated in May – is in Orleans and is around ten times the size of SPS’ old headquarters, which were at the School of Pharmacy in nearby Clemont-Ferrand.
In a press statement SPS said that with the extra space it is “now able to fulfill the needs of its clients, many wanting more than method development in line with the relevant agencies’ expectations but also a partner for the implementation of routine analysis.”
The contract research organisation (CRO) – which spun out of laboratory equipment and measuring technology specialist Sotax a few years ago – added that quality system have been completely reviewed and reinforced to ensure GMP / GLP compliance.
It explained that: “Processes were redefined according to the new facility and are managed using centralized laboratory software an appropriate technical structure setup, and the laboratory staff is now ready for clients’ audits.”
Dissolution
The effectiveness of oral dosage forms relies on the drug dissolving in the fluids of the gastrointestinal tract - or, for buccal dissolution, the mouth - prior to absorption into the system.
Drug dissolution - the rate of release of a finished drug product and SPS’s focus- is therefore an important aspect in development, particularly with the introduction of controlled-release dosage forms and the increasing use of poorly water-soluble drugs.
However, while drug tablet dissolution testing services are likely to continue to be SPS’ core focus, the opening of the new facility will also see the CRO expand its services offering to the drug industry.
The firm said it “has heavily invested in laboratory equipment and is now able not only to provide dissolution-focused services but also best-in-class analytical services including HPLC / UPLC method development for assay and degradation products, automated sample preparation, and physical testing of solid dosage forms.”