CDMO Curia, formerly AMRI, has announced an agreement with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the US Army Contracting Command to support the domestic production of injectable medicines. This agreement includes funding to add an advanced isolated high-speed fill-finish vial line – which includes biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) containment – at the company’s facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s also self-funding two lyophilisers for the line and an isolated flexible filling line for vials, syringes and cartridges to support smaller batch advanced therapies.
The company will house the advanced isolated high-speed line in an expansion of its Alexander Boulevard facility. The 65,000 sqft expansion will include two lyophilisers, automated visual inspection technology, automated packaging capacity, cold storage capability (down to -80 degrees Celsius) and enhanced security features. The isolated flexible filling line will be added to the company’s filling facility at Balloon Park Road.
“This agreement assures our ability to meet urgent demands for the supply of critical medicines well into the future,” said Curia Chairman and CEO, John Ratliff. “Scientific advances including biologics and vaccines require injectable formulations. The fill-finish of this type of product demands specialised expertise and equipment. Our investments in Curia’s Albuquerque facility have already increased capacity and added to our talented team in New Mexico. This agreement not only secures our continued contribution to the nation’s pandemic response plans, it also enables us to meet the need to deliver life-changing life science to patients into the future.”
The Albuquerque site is the location of Curia’s ‘Sterile University’. The training programme provides a simulated sterile manufacturing environment that replicates the facilities, equipment, operations, and protocols so employees can develop the skills that help them perform work safely and efficiently.