Cook Pharmica Announces $80 Million Capability Expansion

Bloomington, IN - Cook Pharmica, the contract biopharmaceutical manufacturing division of Cook Medical, will be expanding capabilities to include formulation, filling and finishing. With the addition of this capability, Cook Pharmica, currently aimed at developing and manufacturing cell culture-based products, will be a centralized source for biotech and pharmaceutical clients' needs from cell line development through parenteral finished packaging.

Already a 2007 ISPE Facility of the Year Category Award winner for current production areas, Cook Pharmica has high expectations for the expansion. The $80 million expansion will provide the same level of transparency and openness for clients during the drug product manufacturing process as currently offered with API production.

"We could not be more thrilled with the acceptance we have gained from our customers. Their acceptance has made this expansion possible," said Jerry Arthur, President of Cook Pharmica. "This expansion is a testament to Cook's commitment to contract manufacturing, further diversifying our experienced portfolio of services and providing the industry one-stop outsourcing for their product needs."

Cook Pharmica intends to expand its contract manufacturing to include aseptically-filled parenteral vials and syringes for products such as simple solutions and diluents, suspensions, vaccines, proteins and biologics. The expansion, named Project Eos for the Greek goddess of the dawn, will support two filling lines and complementary finishing lines. The design includes one high-speed syringe filling line and one low to medium-speed vial filling line with lyophilization capacity up to 250 square feet. Leading-edge technology will be incorporated in the expansion. The syringe filling line will incorporate electronbeam sterilization and both lines will utilize isolators. Inova and Klee brand equipment will be provided by Optima Group Pharma GmbH and the isolator and electron-beam equipment will be supplied by Metall and Plastic.

Approximately 200 new jobs are expected to be added once the facility is fully operational, including professional, hourly and management employees. Project Eos is targeted to be on-line in early 2010. Additional space remains with more than 600,000 square feet for potential expansion on the existing campus.

This is the second time Cook Medical will be working with formulation, filling and finishing. Until 2001, Cook Pharmaceutical Solutions operated as a full service parenteral contract manufacturer in Bloomington, Ind. Building on this expertise, Cook Pharmica intends to fulfill a key niche in the contract manufacturing market for customers seeking complete services for their outsourcing needs.

SOURCE: Cook Pharmica