Sep 10 2007
AMRI announced today the opening of its new 5,000 square meter (50,000 sq. ft.) research and development centre at the Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park in Hyderabad, India.
The new R&D centre, located near AMRI’s existing chemistry facilities in Hyderabad in the ICICI Knowledge Park, will provide additional space for AMRI’s laboratory-scale Indian operations. The new facility includes laboratories for conducting early stage research such as custom chemical synthesis and analytical chemistry. Additional scale up laboratories for preparing both preclinical and clinical trial supply active ingredients are expected to open later this year and 2008, respectively. Those larger laboratories will be used to develop efficient methods to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates. The new facility also is equipped with extensive environmental controls and a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment unit. AMRI has invested approximately U.S. $8 million in construction and equipment.
During this first phase of expansion, the new R&D centre will add approximately 100 employees to AMRI’s operations in the ICICI Knowledge Park, which currently has 35 scientists. Additionally, infrastructure has been added at the new site to allow a second facility to be added in the future, which would more than double employee headcount. Rajesh Shenoy, Ph.D., director of AMRI’s Hyderabad operations, will oversee these facilities.
“In addition to expanding our capabilities in India, this new state-of-the-art research facility increases our capacity to provide customers with a flexible range of drug discovery and development services out of Asia—all with the same quality they have come to expect from AMRI around the world,” said Chairman, CEO and President Thomas E. D’Ambra, Ph.D. “Moreover, as we increase our presence in Asia, AMRI is proud to be contributing to improving work practices for employee opportunities within our industry, as well as setting a high standard and positive example of environmental stewardship.”
The opening of the new Hyderabad facility marks another milestone in the company’s global expansion. In July, AMRI completed the acquisition of two pharmaceutical manufacturing sites, along with additional land for expansion, in Aurangabad and Navi Mumbai, India.
“We look forward to achieving synergies between these new development laboratories and our large scale manufacturing facilities,” added D’Ambra.