Almac Sciences, a member of the Almac Group, has expanded its technology capabilities within its active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) services and chemical development portfolio with the implementation of continuous flow expertise at its global headquarters in Craigavon, UK, with further plans to introduce flow capacity within Arran Chemical Company (Athlone, Ireland).
 
Continuous flow manufacture is an innovative technology platform which is gaining momentum within the pharmaceutical industry with the FDA supporting the adoption for the manufacture of APIs. It offers improvements in relation to product quality, process safety, reduction in plant footprint and provides the ability to perform chemistry that is difficult or impossible to do in batch mode.
 
Almac Sciences has a 4-year strategy to develop Flow Assisted Synthesis Technology (FAST) focusing on four key areas; (1) high pressure hydrogenations, (2) high energy chemistry, (3) oxidation and (4) photo-redox LED mediated chemistries. To support this, Almac Sciences has been awarded a Knowledge Transfer Partnership from Innovate UK for the development of novel routes to chiral amines using flow technology. In addition, Arran Chemical Company, in partnership with Queen’s University, Belfast, has been successful in securing a Horizon 2020 funded program to support 4 PhD studentships for the next 4 years (beginning in 2019) in line with the FAST strategy.
 
Prof. Tom Moody, vice president, technology development and commercialization, Almac & Arran Chemical Company, said, “The introduction of continuous flow technology further enhances Almac Sciences’ capabilities within API development and manufacture. Flow technology is highly flexible, robust, economic and regarded as the most exciting and innovative growth technology for the preparation of APIs. We are delighted to now offer this within our portfolio and will strive to continue providing world-class solutions to advance human health globally.”