PharmEng International has opened its $15 million pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. The 46,400-sq.ft. facility, which operates under the name of Keata Pharma, includes offices for PharmEng’s pharmaceutical consulting division, pilot laboratories for formulation development, rooms with various capabilities such as high shear mixing, container blending and equipment for modified release technology in a control environment that meets all cGMP requirements.

The facility will have the necessary equipment and approvals to provide formulation development and testing services to manufacture and package products in solid and liquid dosage forms. Keata’s long-term goal is to develop capabilities in other dosage forms, such as suppositories, topicals and injectables, according to a PharmEng statement. The facility is located on five acres in the Northside Industrial Park, a 300-acre business park in North Sydney, NS.

“We are committed to delivering the best value to all of our customers and are proud of the role Keata and its employees will play in the Cape Breton community,” said Alan Kwong, President of PharmEng “Cape Breton’s readily available infrastructure, skilled workforce and government support, coupled with PharmEng’s technology leadership and expertise, gives us the confidence in delivering the best value in manufacturing services to our customers.”

The facility will initially employ 65 workers and is anticipated to grow to more than 150 workers within three years. It is the only plant of its kind in Nova Scotia and one of the few plants in Canada that offers modified release manufacturing capabilities, according to the company. Production is expected to commence in early Q1 of 2008.

The Government of Canada has invested $6.25 million in repayable contributions for the construction of the facility through the Cape Breton Growth Fund ($5 million), Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation ($750,000), and ACOA’s Business Development Program ($500,000).