DFE Pharma opens its new Center of Excellence in India to provide fast-track formulation services

DFE Pharma, a global leader in pharma- and nutraceutical excipient solutions, announced the launch of its new Center of Excellence “Closer to the Formulator” (C2F) in Hyderabad, India. The C2F center is based in Genome Valley, a hub of major Indian and global (bio)pharmaceutical companies and renowned research organizations. C2F helps pharmaceutical companies to shorten the time from a concept to a finished commercial product through expertise in all phases of pharmaceutical development.

Pharmaceutical companies face increasing challenges, such as developing robust formulations which can be scaled up for high-speed production and first launched in the market. Smooth regulatory processes depend on decisions made in the development phase. ‘First-time right’ formulations are essential for success in the highly competitive market. Reducing cost and time of development can also allow affordable and new medicines to reach more patients, as advocated by national and regional policies such as the Jan Aushadi¹ initiative in India or the EU pharmaceutical strategy².

“Our new 1200m2 C2F center of excellence offers cutting-edge capabilities and resources to improve product development globally, while also integrating hardware and data management software,” explains Dr. Anilkumar S. Gandhi, Director of the C2F center.  “Our services result in robust formulations, utilizing top-level excipient expertise transferrable to scale-up. We aim to further collaborate with our customers in this new center to combine the joint formulation expertise.”

The services offered by this new state-of-the-art facility are mainly focused on oral solid dosage forms, comprising all types of pre-registration work including development, scale-up, and technology transfer. Formulation support includes specialized dosage forms such as orally disintegrating, effervescent, chewable, and sublingual tablets, minitablets, etc. C2F capabilities also support efficiency projects such as conversion from wet granulation to direct compression.

The center works with the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and can utilize innovative concepts with model APIs. The equipment covers an instrumented tablet press, an automated capsule filling machine, a tablet coater, a blister packaging machine, stability chambers, and state-of-the-art analytical equipment. The C2F offering can provide pharmaceutical companies with multiple advantages such as significantly lowering the number of development cycles, for example, and reducing formulation costs when launching a medicine.

Speaking about C2F, Martti Hedman, CEO of DFE Pharma added: “DFE Pharma has made a multimillion-euro investment in the new Center of Excellence in Hyderabad. Our overall goal is to help the global and Indian pharmaceutical industry to launch new products fast, at a low cost, and always first-time-right. This new Center of Excellence demonstrates how DFE Pharma anticipates trends and innovations to increase patient’s access to safe, high-quality medicines.”

Honorable Minister Mr. K.T. Rama Rao, Cabinet Minister for IT, Industries & Commerce, Municipal Administration & Urban Departments of Telangana government (India) said: “I’m delighted to welcome DFE Pharma, a global leader in pharma- and nutraceutical excipient solutions in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. We are happy to support and facilitate the establishment of “Closer to the Formulator” (C2F) with the major objective of helping pharma companies to move up the value chain. The Government of Telangana will work with DFE Pharma to ensure that Life Sciences companies in the state leverage from this facility.”

About DFE Pharma

DFE Pharma is a global leader in pharma- and nutraceutical excipient solutions. We develop, produce and supply high-quality functional excipients for use in the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries for respiratory, oral solid dose (OSD), ophthalmic and parenteral formulations. Our excipients are used in numerous medicinal and nutraceutical products, including COVID-19 vaccines and – treatments.

Our excipients play an essential role as fillers, binders, disintegrants, and in stabilizing active ingredients for release predictably and effectively into the patient’s system. With more than a century of experience and around 450 people worldwide, we are serving over 5,000 customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Headquartered in Goch, Germany, DFE Pharma is committed to supporting (bio)pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies in their journey to improve patient’s lives, driven by our purpose your medicines, and our solutions. Moving to a healthier world.

Learn more at www.dfepharma.com or follow us on social media.

References

1. Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMDBI), Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
2. European Commission, A pharmaceutical strategy for Europe.