Recipharm offers services to enable switch to next generation pMDI propellants

Global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Recipharm, announces that it is expanding its pMDI product development expertise to accommodate the increasing demand from pharmaceutical companies as they begin the transition to the next generation of propellants over the coming years. These new propellant gases have 90% to 99.9% lower global warming potential (GWP) than HFA134a.

Jean-François Hilaire, Head of the Advanced Delivery Systems business unit at Recipharm, said: “We are committed to decarbonisation and helping our customers meet their sustainability objectives by transitioning their pMDI products to the new propellants and helping reduce the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from their products. Recipharm is working hard to help customers identify and reduce GHG emissions related to both product manufacturing and usage with the common aim of meeting the requirements of the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

“Not only that, but as other industries are also asked by regulators to phase-out propellants with higher GWP, it’s likely that the existing propellants will become less available and more costly. It is therefore important that we prepare to work with new propellants to safeguard the supply of pMDIs to patients. 2022 is an exciting year for Recipharm and our investment in these new manufacturing lines will support us in introducing more sustainable propellants to our pMDI production.”

Furthermore, Recipharm’s in-house product development expertise will be complemented by a collaboration with Professor Darragh Murnane and his research group at the University of Hertfordshire to develop tools, techniques and transition pathways.  Recipharm’s device development team recently completed a three-year Innovate UK (IUK) Knowledge Transfer Partnership research programme with the University of Hertfordshire and University of East London. The programme developed device modelling toolkits to accelerate and tailor device design to pMDI aerosol product performance needs.

Professor Murnane, Professor of Pharmaceutics & Associate Dean (Business and Enterprise) at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “We are excited about the next phase of working with Recipharm.   We’re really looking forward to addressing the challenges of reformulation for low-GWP inhalation products with the Recipharm team.”

The expansion of pMDI product development services announced, complements Recipharm’s existing capability to offer customers pMDI valves suitable for both new propellants. As a result, Recipharm can offer an integrated service including valve selection and product reformulation enabling pharmaceutical companies to transition their pMDI products to next generation propellants.