MMIC and Gericke
The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is a collaboration between CPI, the University of Strathclyde and founding industry partners, GSK and AstraZeneca with funding provided by Scottish Enterprise and UK Research and Innovation. The Centre aims to address challenges and maximise efficiency within the pharmaceutical supply chain through a series of ‘Grand Challenges’. The first of these, Grand Challenge 1 (GC1), focuses on the development of an innovative continuous direct compression (CDC) platform, which will help enable oral solid dosage medicines to be formulated more robustly and efficiently.
Gericke, a specialist in powder processing solutions, will help accelerate Phase 1 of GC1, whilst minimising costs and significantly reducing risk. As the first supplier of continuous blenders to the pharmaceutical industry in the early 2000s and a provider of value-added systems to companies globally, Gericke will offer the Centre crucial expertise in end-to-end technology solutions for powder processing, vital for the development of continuous tablet manufacturing. Gericke’s network of technology suppliers will additionally support the proposed installation of an integrated, automated CDC line at the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre facility in Renfrewshire, UK, enhancing its pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.
This new partnership will build on Gericke’s existing contributions to Phase 1. This includes the provision of a highly modular and integrated system, suitable for both continuous and mini batch blending, making the machine suitable for a wide variety of products, market demands and supply chains. As a partner in the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre collaboration, Gericke will provide further specialist insight and support, including high-quality testing and data generation to inform strategic decision-making and progress through Phase 1. Gericke’s technological expertise will be an asset to GC1 and its goal of developing an innovative CDC platform, but also has the potential to prove invaluable in the progression of Phase 2 and future Grand Challenges.
About Gericke
The Swiss Gericke Group has been designing and manufacturing equipment and systems for modern bulk material processes, as well as providing design and consultation services, for more than 125 years. Gericke bulk materials processing technology can be found throughout the world in many sectors including the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, plastics and construction materials industries.
Gericke’s fully owned group companies employ more than 300 experienced professionals and are located in Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, France, USA, Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and China.