An innovation and technology hub for Flow Chemistry is being established in Hyderabad by a consortium comprising stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry and Telangana government.
It is aimed at ensuring greater incorporation of Flow Chemistry techniques in pharma research and development as well as enhanced adoption of continuous synthesis for manufacturing of active pharma ingredients (APIs), Industries and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao’s office said announcing signing of an agreement for the facility.
The hub, being set up at Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS), will function as a centre of excellence and receive funding and patronage from pharma firms Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Laurus Labs.
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Research activities at the CoE will benefit from the scientific mentorship and support from globally-renowned scientists, including Goverdhan Mehta, University of Hyderabad, Steven Ley of the University of Cambridge, Oliver Kappe of the University of Graz, and Shu Kobayashi of the University of Tokyo.
The API makers in the country are finding it difficult to adopt flow technologies and adapt to the changing paradigm of continuous manufacturing despite being awareness of the benefits of adopting flow technologies. The hub would enable a streamlined translation of a chemical process, demonstrated successfully in flow on lab scale, into one that is well-poised for continuous manufacturing with appropriate flow chemistry tools and utilities, the Minister’s office said.
Telangana government will be facilitating strategic support and scale-up for the hub by encouraging stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry to onboard the consortium. Sources said the hub, which is expected to be commissioned by January 2022, will be a common facility for all pharma and Life Sciences firms. While Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Laurus Labs are founding members, more pharma firms will be joining the initiative.
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Dr. Reddy’s co-chairman and MD G.V. Prasad, Laurus Labs CEO Satyanarayana Chava, CEO of Hyderabad Pharma City and Director (Life Sciences and Pharma) of Telangana government Shakthi Nagappan and DRILS director Srinivas Oruganti signed the agreement in the presence of the Minister and Industries and IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan.
Calling it Flow Chemistry Technology Hub (FCT-Hub), Mr. Oruganti said it will focus on bringing together multiple capabilities from chemistry and engineering expertise to choose the right reactions and help pharma and biotech companies in prioritising products and processes. In doing so, the aim is to find workable solutions to challenges faced in translating existing processes to continuous manufacturing.
The hub will serve as an enabler for the pharma industry to make a paradigm shift towards incorporation of modern approaches from R&D to manufacturing and migration to greener and sustainable processes, Mr. Rao said.