It is only 40 square meters in size on the grounds of the Technical University in Graz, where the RCPE research center has set up a completely new production facility for drugs.
Medicines for a million people
Within a very short time it should be possible to produce drugs for a million people cleanly, quickly and efficiently, as the scientists in charge emphasized on Wednesday in front of prominent visitors from the federal and state levels.
Researchers are working on modern manufacturing methods for drugs, because the process takes months with traditional means. “Traditionally, several separate process steps are necessary to manufacture drugs,” said Johannes Khinast, Managing Director and Scientific Director of the RCPE, explaining the current state of the art. Because every single step has to be checked and approved, such a production is time-consuming and costly.
Production of the first CoV drugs planned
The production of active pharmaceutical ingredients is therefore moving away from traditional discontinuous chemical processes in the direction of continuous process management and flow processes. With such continuous manufacturing methods, drugs could be brought to market faster, more cheaply and with increased product quality, the RCPE managing director was convinced. This could also be helpful in the rapid manufacture of drugs that are to be used to treat Covid-19 disease.
Schützenhöfer: Good model for Europe
Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP) was impressed by the “showcase project”. In order to be well equipped in the future in drug production, good preparation is required. “If we already had what was written as a pilot project, we could produce very quickly. This pilot plant is a good model for Europe, so we will be happy to support this project with the state government, ”he said. “With the RCPE, we have an incredibly innovative company that is ready to go into application and is ready to make its contribution to independent drug production. Here we need to close ranks, ”agreed the Styrian health and science councilor Juliane Bogner-Strauss (ÖVP) to the governor.
Schramböck: springboard for ideas
Economics Minister Margarete Schramböck (ÖVP) also got an impression of the Graz facility: “Research funding pays off. The pharmaceutical and medical technology of tomorrow is being developed in Graz, which will enhance the value of Austria as a research location in the long term. The COMET program is a successful model that acts like a springboard for ideas, ”said the minister.
Financing talks with corporations
“We have the technology to be able to produce active ingredients quickly and in large quantities,” said the process engineer from Graz. To realize it, however, a substantial investment would still be needed, which one would now like to create with the help of subsidies from the EU. “Around 40 to 50 million euros would be necessary,” said Khinast on Wednesday during the tour of the pilot facility that the RCPE opened at Inffeldgasse 13 four years ago. More than five million euros have already been invested in this.
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