Thermo Fisher Scientific's CDMO/CRO faction has officially opened its oral solid dose (OSD) facility focused on early development in Bend, Ohio.
This follows the company's USD $22m investment into its US OSD footprint, which covers both its Cincinnati and Bend sites.
At the facilities, Thermo Fisher will be able to carry out OSD formulation testing, manufacturing and R&D — doubling the Bend facility's existing capacity.
OSDs remain on top
Oral solid dosage formulations remain the most prescribed form of medication in the world, and currently make up 84% of all medications on the market.
This is because of their shelf life, stability and ease of administration, which allows patients in all areas of the globe to access vital therapeutics for a range of health conditions.
To cater to the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, Thermo Fisher Scientific has expanded the Bend site's R&D manufacturing and testing capabilities.
The company has achieved this by fitting bench and pilot-scale spray drying technology, as well as enhancing the site's capacity for dry granulation and hot-melt extrusion.
Thermo Fisher's Bend site will also assist companies in boosting the therapeutic profile of an early-stage OSD — specifically in improving the solubility and bioavailability of a formulation.
During the last decade, the Bend facility has advanced 85 different compounds into late-phase clinical trials; six of these have progressed onto the market.
This expansion could therefore further facilitate the introduction of more medicines to the market in the coming years.
Director and General Manager, Bend site, Pharma Services, Thermo Fisher Scientific, James Hulvat, commented: “Working in Bend, I’ve always been most proud of how we make an impact on the lives of patients every day. Whether that’s an individual patient with a rare pediatric cancer that we were able to deliver a drug for study...to drugs that we’ve helped develop that impact the lives of tens of thousands of patients.”