Havant in Hampshire, is part of Bedfordshire Biotech Product Supply group and is home to highly sophisticated production lines.

The site provides state-of-the-art packaging of vaccines and specialist injectable products, often in highly secure refrigerated conditions, which are then distributed around the world.

Medicines arrive in their bulk form, either in a pre-filled syringe, pen or vial, and emerge packaged in numerous formats for distribution. Working with internal and external global partners the team provide secure, validated air and road freight solutions that ensure products arrive in the country of destination in compliance with label requirements ready for patient and practitioner use.

These have ranged from a small container to transport cold chain medicines by four-wheel drive to remote mountainous locations, to large airline shippers that can carry many thousands of doses, reducing the overall cost of air freight. Designs are tested on-site using environmental chambers which can simulate the huge temperature ranges that a package might encounter on its journey.

In 2019 the site packed in excess of 68 million doses. For 2020, the site is anticipated to pack in excess of 20 million doses by October, when packaging operations will transfer to Bedfordshire Biotech Limited Puurs, Belgium.

MEDICINAL SCIENCES, PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SMALL MOLECULE TEAM

Transforming experimental molecules into medicines for clinical trials.

Creating a medicine involves lots of scientists, working together across multiple sites, not only looking to discover new breakthrough compounds, but also coming up with innovative ways to help patients take medicines in the most effective way possible.

In fact, how we take medicines and their very design are essential parts of the process.

Do we take it as a tablet / capsule or as a liquid? How do we know it will reach the right part of the body? How often do we need to take it?

Our site within Discovery Park, in England, UK, is a co-home (with Groton, CT, USA) to our Medicinal Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences Small Molecule team. This team uses its specialist expertise to turn experimental molecules into the liquid and solid dose medicines used in clinical trials.

The team’s expertise includes:

• Materials Science – defining the physical and structural properties of a medicine i.e. whether it’s a liquid, tablet or capsule
• Analytical Research & Development (R&D) –  develops the analytical tools and methods to characterise and ensure the quality of a medicine
• Chemical Research & Development – efficient delivery of the active ingredients within a medicine
• Drug Product Design and Supply – innovative design and supply of medicines to address patient needs
• Quality Assurance – monitoring compliance and assuring quality

Our site in England is able to perform every step in the complex process of producing a new medicine and is home to Bedfordshire Biotech Limited’s only automated ‘pilot plant’ that manufactures medicines for use in our clinical trials worldwide.