AMRI buys Hyaluron to enter prefilled syringes market
pharmafile | June 21, 2010 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |Â Â AMRI, HyaluronÂ
Contract manufacturing organisation Albany Molecular Research Inc (AMRI) has added to its capabilities with the $27 million purchase of US company Hyaluron, which specialises in the filling and finishing of injectable biopharmaceuticals, particularly drugs delivered in prefilled syringes.
The acquisition includes a manufacturing facility in Burlington, Massachusetts, and all its equipment, and will see Hyaluron’s staff come into the AMRI fold, although the unit will keep the same name and operate as a subsidiary of AMRI.
AMRI already offers a broad range of contract development and manufacturing services, including the production of APIs and intermediates. Adding Hyaluron into the mix means that it can now expand in fill-and-finish services and tap into the fast-growing pre-filled syringes market, which is rising alongside the increased development and use of biologic drugs in healthcare.
The market for prefilled syringes is estimated at around 2 billion units worldwide in 2009, with a value of $2.5 billion, according to a report published in April by market research firm Visiongain. The sector has been growing at 10-15% a year with continued strong growth expected out to 2025 driven by pressure from doctors and patients for more convenient dosage formats.
AMRI chairman and chief executive Thomas D’Ambra, said the acquisition “immediately expands the synergies we can offer to our customers, by providing services in preparation of active ingredients and finished dosage form”.
New ‘bubble free’ filling technology
Hyaluron also brings additional freeze-drying capacity and a proprietary process called Bubble-Free Filling, which allows vials and syringes to be filled with liquid solutions without leaving an air bubble, as generally occurs using current techniques.
Removing the air bubble can improve the stability of products such as proteins and other sensitive compounds by reducing levels of dissolved oxygen, and also improve dosing accuracy for extremely potent drugs, according to the company.
Meanwhile, AMRI has been busily restructuring its business of late, cutting staff in the US and building up its workforce in Asia in a bid to align itself more closely with the emerging geographic pattern of manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry.
In February, the company also bought Wales-based CMO Excelsyn to bolster its European product development and commercial-scale manufacturing operations.
Phil Taylor
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