The alliance is focused on the integration of Hanson’s semi-automated Vision dissolution platform with Shimadzu’s UV-1800 spectrophotometer. Integrating the UV-1800 into Hanson’s workflow will eliminate the need for users to take dissolution samples offline for UV testing.
By replacing this manual step with a system that automatically moves samples into flow cells for UV testing, the partners hope to create an online system that meets growing customer demand for automated technologies. Hanson is optimistic about the prospects of the product.
“We anticipate strong sales in all of our worldwide regions not only because of the new product itself but also because of the combined strengths of the Shimadzu and Hanson brands,” Sara Hanson, director of marketing at Hanson, told this publication.
The optimism is underpinned by a belief that pharma testing operations see value in having a unified platform for the whole dissolution process, rather than separate technologies for each task.
Laboratories with an interest in realising efficiencies through automation, improving their reporting and data integrity, achieving security compliance that will stand up to audits and simplifying their operations are being targeted by Shimadzu and Hanson as potential buyers of the product.
The partners are also working to serve dissolution laboratories that need a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) finish. For these customers, Hanson will pair its Vision AutoPlus dissolution autosampler to Shimadzu’s HPLC product. The partners are touting the product as a way to cut the risk of human error and make testing less time consuming for analysts.
Building business
Shimadzu and Hanson are unveiling the product at the AAPS annual meeting in Florida this week. The event will give the firms a chance to start gathering feedback from outside of the select group of pharma customers and global partners that had advanced knowledge of the collaboration.
Feedback to date has been “extremely positive”, Hanson said, and has led to orders for the product. “There are select successful installations in Europe, the U.S., and Asia with many more on the way,” she said.
The next step is to drum up more interest in the testing system and then begin to get the product into the hands of customers. “We’re scheduled to begin shipping to customers in December after a few administrative details are finalised,” Hanson said.