Baccinex has entrusted Telstar with the design and construction of a cleanroom installation to accommodate an aseptic and lyophilised filling process line, enlarging the existing pharmaceutical plant in the Switzerland region of Jura.

Expected to be completed in 2019, the new building will cover around 1,000m2 and will be devoted to the manufacturing of sterile pharmaceutical product batches for clinical trials.

This complex turnkey technological project will be equipped with a complete automatic aseptic filling line, which is made up of a vials washing machine followed by a depyrogenation and sterilisation tunnel, as well as a vials filling machine operating under laminar flow equipped with a restricted access barrier system (oRABS).

Vials are transferred to two freeze-dryers with automatic loading systems via a conveyor belt, following on to a capping machine to complete the packaging process. There is also an option for both non-lyophilised products and products requiring terminal sterilisation to be manufactured, providing improved versatility.

The aseptic area integrates some auxiliary installations intended to complete the manufacturing process, including raw material dispensing, compounding, washing and preparation for the sterilisation process.

The plant design, for which the latest technological solutions existing in the markets have been taken into account, responds to a demanding implementation of oRABS isolation technology whereby the product is exposed in order to minimise the contamination risk.

Complete solution

The scope of the project awarded to Telstar incorporates the conceptual, basic and detailed engineering, the construction of a new manufacturing area and the provision of process equipment for pharmaceutical production, almost entirely designed and manufactured by Telstar.

The project covers the cleanroom architecture provision; a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system fitted with integrated decontamination technology; critical utilities such as highly purified water, water for injection using a distillation method, pure steam and nitrogen gas; non-critical utilities such as compressed air, softened water, chilled and hot water and industrial steam; electricity and the complete automation system, which integrates HVAC control process, decontamination and particles monitoring system.

In connection with the pharmaceutical process production equipment, the new plant will be fitted with two liquid nitrogen freeze-dryers with vial automatic loading and unloading systems performing under laminar flow oRABS, as well as two autoclaves used for material sterilisation and product terminal sterilisation.

In addition, ten items of containment equipment have also been purchased, including weighing booths, pass-through boxes integrating biological disinfection systems and laminar airflow cabinets.

Telstar will also perform and manage a validation service, including risk analysis, design qualification (DQ), commissioning, installation qualification (IQ), operation qualification (OP) and performance qualification (PQ), in addition to support services for quality assurance.

Telstar specialises in the development of aseptic manufacturing installations, undertakes both the design and the complete execution of the project from its conception to the final validation, as well as the supply of equipment designed and manufactured using in-house technology.

The allocation of the turnkey construction project was agreed in July 2017, after completing the engineering, design and equipment definition phases in May 2017. The complete installation is planned to be finished in Q1 2019.

Energy efficiency

Taking into consideration aspects related to good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliance and the latest trends in the industry field, the design of the new pharmaceutical plant has also integrated energy efficiency systems, generating power and production cost savings.

The review of the European Pharmacopoeia monograph 169, promoted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on water for injection, allowed water to be obtained by non-distillation methods from the 1 April. It has led Telstar to implement a generation system for WFI using reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration in the new plant for Baccinex. The installation has also got a small production of WFI by distillation.

Baccinex

Headquartered in Courroux, Baccinex is a full-service pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) specialised in filling and finishing of sterile lyophilised or liquid dosage forms.

The company cooperates with major international companies offering complete services from pharmaceutical development and manufacturing of clinical trial batches to commercial manufacturing, packaging, analytical services and logistics.