A collaboration between British pharma giants GSK and AstraZeneca and the University of Strathclyde and innovation catalyst CPI has begun construction of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Renfrewshire. The centre is a joint industry-academia effort to accelerate development and industrialisation of next-generation medicines manufacturing innovations and maximise technology opportunities within the medicines supply chain. Funding is being provided by UK Research and Innovation and Scottish Enterprise.

Industry, academia, healthcare providers and regulators will work collaboratively within a GMP environment to address industry challenges and de-risk new technologies, providing a clear pathway for their widespread adoption within the pharmaceutical industry.

The facility aims to translate, at industrial and commercial scale, novel techniques for producing patient-centric medicines, including real-time release of drugs, and integrated process analytics to drive the transformation of medicines manufacturing.

These technologies will enable a reduction in quantities of the materials currently required in process development; accelerate timelines to achieve just-in-time, right-first-time and real-time-release manufacturing principles; and ultimately accelerate access of affordable medicines for healthcare providers and patients.

The facility is due for completion late 2021 and will be operational in early 2022. It is expected to eventually house over 80 staff in both technical and non-technical roles.

Companies of all sizes will be able to use the facility to evaluate, test and prototype processes using an array of advanced Industry 4.0 manufacturing technologies, including continuous, digital and autonomous manufacturing.

The utilisation of next-generation technology it is hoped will enable more efficient drug production to protect future generations by bringing new medicines to market safely and quickly. 

The Centre has recently agreed partnerships with four technology companies to further strengthen the range of expertise in the collaboration.

“The consortium is already working together on several ambitious projects with the aim to de-risk disruptive technology that can lower the cost of drug development,” said Dave Tudor, Managing Director of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, Quality and Biologics, at CPI. “Live projects include a digitally-twinned continuous direct compression platform to increase the productivity of drug product manufacture, and an automated platform to enable just-in-time supply for clinical trials which will drastically cut lead times. We look forward to bringing that technology and cross-sector expertise to these new facilities.”

Frank Millar, CEO at CPI, said: “Ageing populations, the increasing cost of drug development, and resource constraints impeding the adoption of emergent technologies are just some of the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry today. The increasing financial burden on the healthcare system as a whole has led to a pressing need for more cost-effective medication. By connecting the dots between academia, government, industry and healthcare providers within this state-of-the-art centre, we can address these issues and transform the pharmaceutical supply chain for the future.”

UK Government Minister for the Life Sciences Nadhim Zahawi said: “Backed with £13 million of government funding, this centre is the first of its kind and will significantly boost our domestic medicines manufacturing capability to ensure we are prepared for any future health crises.

“Complementing our state of the art Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire, it will ensure we are at the forefront of transformational technologies, attracting tens-of-millions-of-pounds of investment to the UK and creating new highly-skilled jobs in the Renfrewshire area – a great example of how we are working to build back better.”

Jon-Paul Sherlock, Technology Strategy Lead at AstraZeneca, said: “Manufacturing innovation is critical to future pharmaceutical supply chains. Molecules are more complex, development times shorter and the expectations of patients and healthcare systems higher than ever before.

“However, for a highly regulated industry, innovation is risky and potentially expensive. This facility will enable close collaboration between industry, government and academia and will be a game-changer; resulting in faster industrialisation and implementation of exciting new opportunities.”