Heraeus adds ‘much-needed’ capacity for chemo components manufacture

25-Nov-2019 - Last updated on 25-Nov-2019 at 11:55 GMT

(Image: Heraeus)

Heraeus adds production line to expand its capacity for the manufacture of platinum-based HPAPIs.

Germany-headquartered Heraeus Pharmaceutical Ingredients announced an expansion of its manufacturing capacity for platinum-based highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (Pt HPAPIs), which are a key component in cancer chemotherapies.

More specifically, Pt HPAPIs are used in treatments against a range of cancers, including lung, colorectal, ovarian and testicular.

The company suggested that this expansion comes “as cancer cases rise across the globe,” and in order to ensure the company possesses “much-needed capacity to meet the long-term global market demand.”

Moreover, Heraeus stated that the need for Pt HPAPIs in cancer treatment has been ‘rocketing’ due to demographic changes leading to more cancer cases, emerging countries gaining access to chemotherapy and usage of the components in combination therapies.

The production line will be established at the company’s facilities in Hanau, Germany, with commercial production scheduled to begin in 2020, upon completion of regulatory certification.

Marcus Hannakam, head of Heraeus’ Pharmaceutical Ingredients Business Line, stated that this forms a ‘multi-million’ investment by the company. He added that the technical set-up of the site is already complete.