The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) has announced the launch of the USP Advanced Manufacturing Technology Lab in Richmond, Virginia, as a part of its launch of a suite of R&D analytical solutions. These analytical lab services will aid drug manufacturers in adopting advanced manufacturing technologies, such as pharmaceutical continuous manufacturing (PCM), to increase geographic diversity in pharmaceutical manufacturing and support medicine supply chain resilience.
The new R&D analytical solutions will include analytical lab services that take advantage of USP's in-house scientific expertise and cutting-edge facilities at the USP Advanced Manufacturing Technology Lab in Richmond, as well as its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. These capabilities will be utilized to characterize materials and qualify and develop ways to help ensure the quality of PCM-based medicines.
PCM involves a continuous flow of materials through a process pipeline in which two or more unit operations are directly connected and the sequential transformation of those materials. As the input materials are fed in, the process output, such as an active pharmaceutical ingredient or drug product, is collected, and the complete procedure is carried out in a single facility.
USP's emphasis on R&D analytical solutions and PCM-specific quality assessments is part of a broader set of activities aimed at addressing the problems of PCM adoption and bolstering pharmaceuticals' supply chain resilience.
Consulting services provided by a USP company, Pharmatech Associates, Inc., can assist manufacturers with decision-making and problems associated with PCM adoption. Pharmatech Associates consulting services, which operate independently of USP's standards-setting processes, provide manufacturers interested in PCM and other advanced manufacturing technologies with technical, business, and regulatory strategies, workforce training, and equipment and process design.
About The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)
USP is a non-profit, independent scientific organization that provides safe, high-quality pharmaceuticals. The organization has strived to establish confidence in the world's drugs, dietary supplements, and foods for more than two centuries. It protects patient safety and enhances global health via rigorous science and the establishment of public quality standards.