The innovative center for drug production was officially opened | So Good News

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Center, of which Strathclyde is a founding partner, has officially opened in Scotland’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District near Glasgow Airport.

The £88m Center brings together world-leading science and technology expertise under one roof to help accelerate cutting-edge solutions to some of the biggest challenges in drug development and manufacturing.

The catalyst for the center’s technology innovation is a unique collaboration between CPI and 23 partner organizations in the pharmaceutical sector, business, academia and government.

Its ‘Grand Challenge’ business model is in line with the UK’s Life Sciences Strategy roadmap, bringing together ideas from the pharma and technology sectors to help tackle challenges such as developing sustainable manufacturing processes.

A unique consortium

The Drug Manufacturing Innovation Center has six founding partners: pharmaceutical giants AstraZeneca and GSK; technological innovation catalyst, CPI; strategic research associate, University of Strathclyde; and two government agencies, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Scottish Enterprise.

Other partners investing in the center include pharmaceuticals Pfizer, Novartis and Alnylam, business partner PwC and technology leaders Siemens and Applied Materials.

Atos, a leading global digital transformation provider across the life sciences value chain, offering pharmaceutical manufacturing digitization and transformation capabilities and services, is the latest to join the unique consortium, investing heavily in the Center.

The center is expected to generate £200 million in cutting-edge technology over the first five years and will have a significant business impact – creating more than 100 high-value jobs, enabling private investment and creating next-generation manufacturing assets and expertise.

Professor Sir Jim MacDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, said: “MMIC is an example of academic and industrial collaboration and demonstrates the vital role such partnerships play in driving innovation and translating research into practical applications. nurturing the talent required by the business.

As part of Scotland’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District and co-located with Scotland’s National Manufacturing Institute, this new facility will help develop systems, processes and products that will transform pharmaceutical manufacturing in this country and significantly boost the local economy.

Dave Tudor, CPI’s director of drug manufacturing, biologics and quality, said: “The facility we’ve built here in Renfrewshire is the first example of a consistent and concerted effort by the pharmaceutical industry to focus on collaboration. This will be critical to unlocking the challenges faced so far in order to translate research into tangible benefits that help address unmet health needs.

“Our Grand Challenge business model aims to bring key players together to accelerate solutions to some of the key challenges we see in the industry. For example, we want to see waste and the industry’s carbon footprint reduced through better, more efficient manufacturing processes. We want to have strong research in areas such as cell and gene therapy, RNA and monoclonal antibodies to bring digital solutions, forward thinking, advanced technology and advanced supply chain thinking to help drive greater investment and growth in biologics manufacturing.

“The next stage is to invite companies to the new Center so that they can use the existing technologies developed as a result of our large tests.”

Regulated factory

A drug manufacturing innovation center is a fully Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulated facility that assumes many of the operational risks associated with drug development, such as compliance with regulatory requirements for new technology development. Partners expect benefits from their manufacturing processes, including higher productivity, lower drug development costs, increased compliance and a reduced carbon footprint.

Scottish Government Business Minister Ivan McKee said: “Through our national economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise, we have provided £16m to the Center which comes at a crucial time for Scotland, meeting the need for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. jobs in a vital sector and provides an excellent opportunity for international and domestic manufacturing businesses to locate in Scotland.

As a key part of Scotland’s economic recovery, the Center will not only benefit the economy but also the nation’s health, and will put Scotland at the forefront of advanced medicines production.

John Lamont, UK Government Secretary for Scotland, said: “This Center of Excellence is a truly remarkable development, pushing science to its limits and beyond to discover medical breakthroughs that have the potential to save and transform countless lives.

“The UK Government is investing £28m in the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Center through Innovate UK. This is in addition to an additional £55.6m in the Enhanced Manufacturing Innovation District through the City Deal and Leveling Up funds.

“This collaboration across multiple sectors is the best partnership work, benefiting humanity locally and globally.”