NEWS
Zinc firms combined
Piramal progresses at two API sites
Piramal Pharma Solutions ( PPS ) has announced the implementation of “ various tools to unlock API manufacturing capacity and support client needs in drug development and on-patent projects ” at its 40-hectare site at Digwal in the Indian state of Telangana . This came shortly after its new API plant at Aurora , Ontario , went online . The investment at Digwal is based on applying operational excellence tools , such as theory of constraint , value stream mapping , optimisation of unit operations and line balancing . In all , this has released 20 % of capacity at the site , where PPS has made or committed over $ 30 million in capital investments , both in the infrastructure and the operational culture . In addition , to reduce manual interventions , mechanisation initiatives are in progress at the site , including investments in powder transfer systems , and a zero liquid discharge system has been implemented . Having previously added development services for late-phase clinical requirements , registration and site transfers to support the commercial launch , PPS has also added to R & D capabilities at Digwal , with some 20 new fume hoods coming online . The Aurora plant came online in May after completing its initial production runs . These have included process validation , registration and engineering campaigns . The new plant , built as part of a C $ 30 million capital investment , has around 900 m 2 of manufacturing space and includes two suites with glass-lined reactors of 2-4 m 3 capacity , plus additional filtration and drying capabilities . It also expands the company ’ s ability to produce clinical- to commercial-scale APIs and HPAPIs requiring an occupational exposure limit of 1 μg / m 3 .
Private equity firm Aterian Investment Partners has acquired EverZinc and will combine it with existing affiliate US Zinc to make the world ’ s largest maker of zinc chemical products . This will be based in Houston and will operate as EverZinc , with EverZinc CEO Vincent Dujardin becoming CEO and US Zinc president and CEO Joel Hawthorne as vice-chairman The existing EverZinc has ten sites in Belgium , Canada , China , the Netherlands , Norway and Malaysia , and is active in speciality zinc materials , including fine zinc powders , zinc oxides , battery zinc powders and Zano , an ultrafine zinc oxide . US Zinc , meanwhile , has four facilities in Texas and Tennessee , making zinc oxide , fine zinc powder and zinc metal . Aterian noted that zinc is the fourth most common metal in use in the world “ and has made considerable inroads as a potential material of choice in nascent markets ”. These include the use of zinc oxide in sunscreens , and of zinc air and nickel zinc in stationary power storage . Other markets include pharmaceuticals , general chemicals , textiles , agriculture , feed , rubber , paints and coatings .
CordenPharma changes hands
Private equity firm Atorg has agreed to acquire CDMO CordenPharma from International Chemical Investors Group ( ICIG ), subject to customary regulatory approvals . The founders , Patrick Schnitzer and Dr Achim Riemann , will also reinvest in the firm and CEO Michael Quirmbach remains in place . Terms of the sale were not disclosed . However , when the possibility of a sale was first reported in German business newspaper Handelsblatt in January , a valuation of around € 3 billion was cited . ICIG , the paper claimed , had delayed a sale until it had completed a major series of investments . Subsequently , CordenPharma announced that it is investing over € 10 million in lipid nanoparticle ( LNP ) formulation , development and production areas at its sterile injectables facility in Caponago , Italy ( below ), beginning with an R & D facility . The products will be used in xRNAbased therapeutics .
10 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981