A year of global pandemic will have revealed a clear complementarity between Seqens, a global player in pharmaceutical synthesis, and Rondol, a pioneer in extrusion for pharmaceutical use from Lorraine. In March, the large group and the SME began the first micro-extrusion tests of glycopyrrolate, a molecule used by Seqens in the treatment of asthma, in Nancy. These tests will determine the contributions of this technology in terms of packaging, conservation and bioavailability, which defines the speed of absorption and the quantity of medication absorbed.
The expected results go far beyond the treatment of asthma alone. Extrusion is one of the technologies that could make it possible to repatriate the production of certain molecules relocated to Asia for cost reasons. By reducing the number of syntheses and manufacturing steps, it could offset the additional costs associated with production in Europe.
Produce close to needs
"Extrusion is part of our flow chemistry strategy, which aims to build an ecosystem around active ingredients to be able to produce them quickly as close as possible to needs," explains Pierre Luzeau, President of Seqens. In addition to tests on glycopyrrolate, other trials on molecules used in oncology as well as for viral or infectious diseases must be added. Extrusion should make it possible to exploit increasingly complex but less and less soluble active ingredients, by improving the benefit-risk ratio.
"Our machines, which improve the quality of formulations while reducing development costs, are also of interest to biotech start-ups, because they allow them to maintain control over their products," emphasizes Victoire de Margerie, President of Rondol. The company is, in partnership with BASF, among the 2020 finalists for the Galien Prize for a project dedicated to emerging countries. Last year, it marketed around ten machines, including three in the United States, for pharmaceutical or industrial uses. Customers agreed to show their extruders, or even have them tested by other potential users. These unprecedented partnerships strengthen Rondol's visibility in the United States, which accounts for half of the global pharmaceutical market.
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