PCI adds to cold chain capacity in Philadelphia

PCI Pharma Services, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) has announced a 60% expansion of temperature-controlled storage space, from the equivalent of 800 pallet spaces to over 1,300. That 2-8°C storage is primarily to stage commercial production or largescale clinical trials of parenteral products, especially biologics. The company has also recently cryogenic storage at its Rockford, IL site, and says that its overall network, which includes sites in the US and Europe, can handle strictly monitored temperature conditions from +25 to -196°C. Cryogenic storage is necessary for some of the newest biologics, particularly in cellular and gene therapies.

“On average, we launch over 50 products a year and a large proportion of those are drugs with needs for end-to-end cold chain,” says Ken Richardson, PCI VP of global engineering. “We continue to invest considerably in both areas – adding infrastructure to meet growing demand for vial labeling, syringe labeling and assembly, as well as labeling and assembly of autoinjectors and pens, complemented by investing in ample site storage for these medicines needing refrigerated or frozen conditions. We anticipate these needs will increase considerably as these pipeline medicines reach commercialization, in addition to anticipated growth associated with development of biosimilars.”

The company recently announced the installation of a state-of-the-art multipurpose custom engineered parenteral labeling unit at its Hay-on-Wye, England, site, capable of supporting a variety of injectable delivery forms such as vials, syringes, and autoinjectors.