The upcoming 2024 Continuous Manufacturing Forum, taking place in Princeton (NJ, US) on 17–19 September, provides an exciting opportunity to reflect on what many of the presenters are describing as “10 years of innovation.” Long-term partners of GEA and early adopters of continuous manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry — including Vertex, Pfizer and Merck — will showcase their implementation stories during the event and discuss the advantages of #GoingConti. This gives attendees and delegates unprecedented access to top-tier drug companies that have “walked the walk” and are willing to share their application and optimization experiences. There are, no doubt, lessons to be learned.
Proud to sponsor the Forum, GEA will also be sharing some insights as Dr Jim Holman, who will Chair the session on “Innovators and Innovations in Continuous Manufacturing,” presents a case study on the benefits of converting batch processes to CM for existing products. Hovione’s Filipe Gaspar will also be onsite to discuss making continuous direct compression (CDC) mainstream and highlight the company’s ongoing customer-supplier relationship with GEA to provide more flexible, standardized equipment.
As was recently announced, Hovione and GEA have taken a significant step forward in their partnership and announced new development agreements, including the launch of the ConsiGma® CDC flex (patent applied for) and the installation of a new lab-scale R&D continuous tableting rig at Hovione’s facilities in Portugal.
The ConsiGma® CDC flex, a versatile tableting system designed to operate seamlessly in both continuous and batch modes, offers both high and low throughput functionality. With a focus on user-friendliness, the ConsiGma® range will be augmented further to simplify routine development operations and introduce automated workflows and Smart control interfaces to help streamline production processes. Equipped with compact feeders, a movable feeder table and GEA’s Air Compensator technology, the CDC flex is #SimplyBetter.
Sustainable by Design
Compared with traditional batch processes, CM has long been recognized as a more environmentally friendly production method. Less waste, improved resource utilization and more consistent product quality make it more planet friendly, as does eliminating the need for large-scale (unit operation) equipment, decreased energy consumption and lower material and/or washing water requirements. Plus, given that ConsiGma® plant is typically more compact than batch machinery, a smaller equipment footprint means less space is required, leading to lower construction and maintenance costs … and less environmental impact from facility operations. Offering faster production and quicker times to market lessens the overall environmental impact associated with prolonged manufacturing campaigns.
But that’s not all; the sustainability benefits of GEA’s innovations go far beyond ConsiGma®. The NexGen Press® 30 — which just happens to be fully compatible with CM technology — also offers environmental benefits and, as such, has been awarded an Add Better label for using 21% less energy than its predecessor model.
Not only that, built with a circular economy in mind, it takes up less space (lower material requirement) and employs a smart washing process during cleaning cycles. The patented FAST CHANGEOVER Exchangeable Compression Module (FCO ECM) significantly reduces the area that needs to be cleaned, thus reducing water consumption. For GEA and the pharmaceutical compression market, a new benchmark has been set!
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
With a continuous line running at a customer’s site for almost two decades, GEA has, from the very beginning, championed the implementation of cutting-edge continuous technology to improve the production of oral solid dosage (OSD) forms. The fully integrated powder-to-tablet ConsiGma® range comprises flexible systems that improve both development and commercial-scale operations and enables greater process understanding to be achieved with smaller quantities of material. Sign up today and join GEA experts, partners and customers at this year’s forum to learn more about the technological advances and practical benefits of adopting continuous manufacturing. It’s #SimplyBetter
