Pharmaceutical development – from idea to safe product

Medicines should be effective and safe to use, but also cost-effective to produce. All products must therefore be optimised in terms of their design, they must satisfy an array of requirements and undergo extensive quality testing. One of RISE’s facilities is located in Södertälje, where small and large customers can receive assistance at all stages of their pharmaceutical development. 

“Many start-ups with new and promising potential medicines often do not have the infrastructure necessary to develop a product,” says Nicolaas Schipper, Head of Production at RISE’s Chemical Processes and Pharmaceuticals Unit. “We can help at all stages all the way to a preparation that can be tested in clinical studies.”

In many cases, RISE also supports major pharmaceutical companies in specific issues or to help with their workload.

From design to production in the same testbed

RISE encompasses, among other things, design, modification, formulation, safety studies, and pharmacokinetics, and tests can also be performed to determine whether production can be scaled up. Medicines to combat cancer, eye disease, liver disease and Alzheimer’s disease are a few examples of products developed within the framework of the testbed. RISE is also part of a major European project to develop and test new types of antibiotics that are effective against multi-resistant bacteria.

“The unique thing about us is, above all, our breadth – from toxicological safety studies to process chemistry,” says Schipper. “In addition, we have high capacity for problem-solving, all the necessary equipment, and we stay up-to-date with all the latest research.”

Complex process requiring expertise

All stages of pharmaceutical development – from initial research through to market approval of the finished product – are tightly regulated. The entire process is very complex and, in order to avoid setbacks and unnecessary costs, requires expertise based on solid industrial research.