Omya VP: “New Lab Offers Our Clients Much Faster Formulation Services”

18 Mar 2016 --- Global producer of calcium carbonate, Omya, have set up a state-of-the-art laboratory for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. The lab officially opened on 15th March 2016 and is now fully operational.

The innovative facility at the company’s Swiss headquarters in Oftringen comprises a wet lab for product development, a dry lab for granulation, tabletting and performance analysis, as well as storage and office space.

Cutting-edge equipment – including fluid-bed technology, a roller compactor and a rotary tablet press – allows for high-quality mineral research, development and technical customer support.

Stefan Lander, Vice President Consumer Goods, Omya told FoodIngredientsFirst that the planning of the lab and equipment as well as the approval process took approximately one year.

Until now, Omya has done pharmaceutical and nutraceutical product development with external partners through third-party agreements. However, securing intellectual property rights in collaborations such as these can be challenging.

With its own lab, Omya can react to market needs much faster now and ensures legal certainty for both itself and its customers, which is a prerequisite for the company to be able to sell its products without restrictions. Lander explains: “With the new lab we are now in the position to support our clients with much faster formulation services. Processes and products can be directly adapted to the needs of every single active, but also formulation goal.”

Of paramount importance for the new laboratory will be developing innovative applications and maintaining ongoing natural minerals research projects. These include the award-winning Omyapharm, a Functionalized Calcium Carbonate and ideal excipient that allows granules and tablets with high levels of mechanical strength and fast disintegration times to be produced. Owing to its outstanding properties, Omyapharm was selected from 20 shortlisted substances and presented with the 2015 CPhI Pharma Award for most innovative excipient.

Lander says: “With the new laboratory, we are able to protect intellectual properties and further extend our specialist calcium carbonate expertise. This includes developing new structured minerals that are tailor-made for specific applications or optimizing existing products to meet the changing needs of the industry.”

“Moreover, our experienced team of scientists and technicians is available to support customers regarding product development and ensure shorter times-to-market for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products,” adds Lander.

by Elizabeth Kenward