Novasep, a supplier of services and technologies for the life sciences industry, is investing €6 million in its Chasse-sur-Rhône site in France. This investment will increase and modernize manufacturing capabilities to support new generation Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), in areas such as oncology, central nervous system (CNS) and infectious diseases.
 
Continuous, or flow chemistry, is becoming increasingly important in API manufacturing, offering a number of advantages over traditional batch chemistry such as improved productivity, reduced energy and solvent consumption, better reaction control, increased process safety and reduced exposure for personnel.
 
Flow chemistry is currently one of Novasep’s main areas of innovation, with the establishment of a research platform in flow chemistry at its Chasse-sur-Rhône site back in 2013 to develop methodologies for efficient process development under continuous flow conditions, using both internal chemical and engineering expertise. This latest investment strengthens these capacities with the installation of a cGMP flow reactor to support the needs of pharmaceutical innovators for clinical supply and launch.
 
Novasep also continues to reinforce its capabilities for low to medium volume APIs to accommodate customers’ growing needs for outsourced API manufacturing services.
 
This investment project is supported by the French government as part of the ‘France Relance’ recovery plan. The program rewards innovative and promising industrial investments in France, with the aim of reinforcing production capabilities of APIs for essential therapies.
 
“The addition of a cGMP flow capability at manufacturing scale, a technology which Novasep has been working on for several years in R&D, is an important step forward to strengthen our competitiveness in the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients market. We are proud of this investment which will increase employment opportunities in France whilst improving responsiveness and reinforcing manufacturing capacities for essential therapeutic drugs for our customers, and ultimately for patients,” said Catherine Vindevoghel, site Director of Chasse-sur-Rhône.”