NEWS
Sterling buys Novartis site
Kurita establishes new R & D base
Kurita Water Industries has established a new R & D base called the Kurita Innovation Hub ( KIH ) at Akishima city in Tokyo . Covering about 38,400 m 2 and employing 400 , this comprises two buildings : the Technology Innovation Centre and the Technical Education Centre . The functions of the existing R & D facility , the Kurita Global Technology Centre , have been transferred to the new site . The KIH has advanced laboratory and analytical equipment for water and the environment ; an ultra-pure water production system ; and verification equipment , such as cleanrooms . There are also training facilities related to water treatment . “ KIH is a hub for creating innovations that solves social and industrial challenges by connecting with customers , research institutions and other stakeholders over the world to integrate diverse knowledge ,” the company said . The site has been designed for reduced environmental impact and CO 2 emissions . Kurita has also completed construction of a new manufacturing building at its Toyoura plant in Yamaguchi and operations have already begun . This is being used to refine functional materials , such as the ion exchange resins and UF membranes used in water treatment systems , as well as to manufacture standard-type water treatment systems .
UK-headquartered CDMO Sterling Pharma Solutions has agreed to acquire Novartis ’ s 45-hectare Ringaskiddy campus near Cork , Ireland ( pictured ). Financial details of the sale , which is expected to close in Q4 , 2022 , have not been disclosed . All of the workforce will transfer to Sterling , bringing its global total to over 1,000 . The deal also includes an ongoing supply agreement for products Novartis has made at the site . The facilities include three API manufacturing buildings , plus facilities to support development and scale-up . Sterling CEO Kevin Cook said that the Ringaskiddy site “ has a number of synergies with our current global facilities , enabling us to continue our growth strategy in the small molecule market , as well as extending our capabilities in several key technological areas , such as peptide manufacturing and large-scale chromatography ”. This continues several years of growth by acquisition and investment for the Sterling . Most notably , in October 2020 , it acquired Alcami ’ s facility at Germantown , Wisconsin , boosting its API development and manufacturing capacity , particularly for complex and hazardous requirements , including high potency . Sterling has since announced a £ 1 million expansion project at its dedicated bioconjugation and ADCs facility at Deeside , UK , which it acquired with ADC Biotechnology . The project will increase the current laboratory space from 275 to 419 m 2 and reconfigure the layout to provide the ability to develop and expand areas for additional services . A new mass spectrometer has been installed in the process development laboratory to support analytical services both ADC and small molecule development . This is located in a controlled environment with temperature controls , airlocks and HEPA filters , allowing the safe handling and analysis of cytotoxic and highly potent materials .
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