Rick Lapointe has been appointed president of HollisterStier Laboratories’ Contract Manufacturing unit, responsible for overseeing business development, manufactur¬ing, engineering, validation and process development functions. Mr. Lapointe is the chair of the Contract Op¬erating Committee and reports directly to chief executive officer Anthony D. Bonanzino, Ph.D. He has served as senior vice president of operations for HollisterStier since 2004 and previously worked for Burroughs Wellcome.  

Catalent Pharma Solutions

3Q Revenues: $453.3 million (+4%)

3Q Loss: $31 million (earnings were $21.8 million in 1Q07)

YTD Revenues: $1.4 billion (+8%)

YTD Loss: $72.5 million (earnings were $41.4 million YTD07)

Comments: The company attributed its revenue growth primarily to the effect of a weaker dollar. Without that factor, net revenues would have declined 2%, due primarily to lower North American volumes in printed components and commercial packaging. Sterile Technologies revenue was $76.7 million (+18%) in the quarter and $221.3 million YTD (+22%), thanks in part to the company's new steriles facility in Brussels. Packaging Services revenue was $125.3 million (-12%) in the quarter and $410.7 million YTD (-1%). SG&A expenses were $80.1 million (+21%) in the quarter and $238.6 million YTD (+11%).

HollisterStier Laboratories has completed the construction of a full-service 6,000-sq.-ft. lab  that includes analytical testing services with an analytical chemistry department. The lab is part of the company’s $42 million, 71,000-sq.-ft. facility-wide expansion project that more than doubles current manufacturing capacity.
   
The company has also expanded its 172,000-sq-.ft. facility to include a new Small Volume Parenterals (SVP) line to aseptically fill liquid and lyophi¬lized pharmaceutical products in vials ranging from 2mL through 200 mL in batch sizes from 20 to 3,000 liters.
   
The new line (SVP II) houses a 25,500-sq.-ft. vial filling complex with a Bosch FLC 3080 vial filler equipped with a nondestructive automatic check weigh system, diaphragm filling pumps and speeds as high as 400 vpm. The line offers multiple options for compounding including aseptic compounding, portable compounding vessels, and large fixed compounding tanks. The vial inspection and packaging area includes inspection, labeling, Ink Jet coding and secondary packaging.
   
SVP II is designed for multi-product manufacturing, both commercial and clinical trial material, with one product manufactured in the area at a time. SVP II includes advances in pharmaceutical technology such as automated non-destructive fill checks and ISO5 oversealing. In addition, two GEA lyophiliz¬ers will be added in a new ISO5/6 facility and ready for production in 1Q09.
   
“The expansion of our facilities is a reflection of the successes that our organization has worked hard to achieve,” said Anthony Bonanzino, Ph.D., chief executive officer of HollisterStier. “We take pride in the quality and efficiency we provide our customers. Our reputation as world-class contract manufacturers has allowed for us to be in a position to expand upon our capabilities so that we can continue to best serve our customer-base.”

Prevalere Life Sciences has opened a new biotechnology lab at its Whitesboro, NY headquarters, enhancing the current 48,000-sq.-ft. facility and housing seven labs. The company transformed unfinished space into a 1,800-sq.-ft. immunoassay lab, where it will conduct pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity testing.
   
“Over the last six years that we have been working in the biotechnology field, we’ve seen many breakthrough therapies emerging, leading to increased demand from our clients that required an expansion in this area” said Dr. Mario Rocci, Jr., Prevalere's chief executive officer. “We see this expansion as another opportunity to advance our mission of providing innovative R&D services to meet the evolving needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology communities.”
   
This expansion is considered to be Phase I of a two-phase project to meet future demand increases with a second new lab that could be up and running within 60 days. Prevalere has relocated its current team of immunoassay scientists to this new wing of the facility, and plans to hire more scientists in this area. Twenty employees were added in 2007, and seven more employees have been added this year to date.

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