Abbott opened its new development labs and a pilot plant facility based in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The facility will research technologies and test large-scale production of newly developed drug formulations. The expansion is part of the company’s global drug delivery business, SOLIQS.
   
“Abbott is committed to advancing scientific innovation and bringing new medicines to patients,” said John M. Leonard, M.D., senior vice president, Pharmaceuticals, Research and Development, Abbott. “Innovative drug formulation is critical to the development of effective new treatments that make a difference for patients.”
   
“Nearly 40% of pharmaceutical compounds never reach the clinical study phase because they cannot be absorbed in the human body,” said Jorg Breitenbach, Ph.D., senior director of drug product development and head of SOLIQS. “The SOLIQS expansion builds on Abbott’s expertise in drug delivery technology and addresses the rising demand for innovative, patient-focused formulations.”
   
The facility will evaluate new processes for its current technologies, Meltrex, Xellex, NanoMorph and smartCrystals that target the formulation of soluble complex pharmaceutical substances. Using the Meltrex technology for example, Abbott developed a new tablet formulation of its drug Kaletra that does not require refrigeration and can be taken with or without food. This tablet formulation also offers the convenience of fewer pills.