Vetter Inaugurates Comprehensive Site In Germany

The comprehensive Ravensburg Vetter South site was officially inaugurated on September 25. The past six years have seen Vetter invest significantly into the site, with a total area of some 80,000 m² (862,000 ft²), that now includes state-of-the-art facilities for the aseptic filling and packaging of injectable drugs. The location features three buildings: a cutting-edge production facility, a final assembly and packaging plant, and a laboratory for ongoing production-related analyses. Each is described in detail below. The company's investment at the Ravensburg South location to date totals some 150 million Euros, with a further, ongoing investment of 50 million Euros in expanded pharmaceutical production now underway.

Top-notch pharmaceutical production
The newly inaugurated Vetter location is one of the most innovative pharmaceutical production sites in the world, boasting numerous sophisticated features including:

• maximum production automation
• the use of RABS (Restricted Access Barrier Systems)
• central material supply with optimized material flows
• two independent filling lines.

This impressive configuration was honored with, among other recognition, the coveted Facility of the Year Award 2007 in the Process Innovation category.

The two filling lines were the first segments of the expanded production site to begin operating in early 2007, after a mere 36 months of construction. Liquid and freeze-dried drugs are filled into Vetter Lyo-Ject® and V-LK® dual-chamber systems on the RVS 1 Mulitiformat Line and into cartridges and vials on the RVS 2 Combination Line.

The facility was designed and built with the ongoing expansion in mind, allowing production to continue without any impact from the construction work. Currently, final preparations are being made for a third production line. All work on this project is scheduled for completion by mid 2011.

Vetter Secondary Packaging The sophisticated Vetter Secondary Packaging (VSP) facility provides ideal conditions for pharmaceutical final assembly. A classified hygienic production area allows adherence to the highest quality and safety standards, the room layout provides optimal protection against any mixing or contamination, and material and staff movements follow the latest GMP requirements. Some of the site's most impressive features are a fully automated packaging line and a packing line which satisfies extremely stringent cosmetic integrity requirements.

The new VSP facility, in which the final assembly and packaging of the pre-filled injection systems is undertaken with the greatest possible care, is the final step of the company's complete service offering. The entire VPS process, from hand packaging and the painstaking assembly of pens, auto-injectors and safety devices to the fully automated final packaging, takes place in the Ravensburg South plant. It has been operating fully since May 2009.

The Ravensburg Vetter South Laboratory (RVS-Lab)
The final component of the comprehensive RVS site is the cutting-edge laboratory. The building includes a microbiological lab and chemical analysis area in new, specially designed spaces. Crucial monitoring and analyses during the aseptic filling process take place in the new laboratory. With the completion of these new laboratory facilities, Vetter has in place all key prerequisites for the possible future expansion of its pharmaceutical production site.

For more information, visit www.vetter-pharma.com

About Vetter
Vetter is an independent international specialist in the aseptic filling of syringes, cartridges and vials. Based in Ravensburg, Germany, Vetter also produces its own injection systems, such as the Vetter Lyo-Ject® dual-chamber syringe. With about 1,900 employees worldwide, Vetter holds nearly 140 patents and has longstanding experience in handling client products and processes approved by the FDA, the EMEA and other authorities. In 2007, the company also received the go-ahead as a foreign manufacturer for the Japanese pharmaceutical market from Japan's Ministry for Health, Labor and Welfare. Additionally, Vetter has received two awards for its new facility Ravensburg Vetter South (RVS): The Facility of the Year Award 2007 (Process Innovation category) and the European Outsourcing Award 2007 (Most Improved Process/Plant/Facility category).

Vetter Development Service provides support for its pharmaceutical and biotech clients in the early stages of development, from clinical phases and regulatory approval to worldwide product launch. Vetter Commercial Manufacturing handles the entire production process, from compounding and aseptic filling to the final packaging of a product. Vetter Solutions' patented application systems enable clients to compete more effectively throughout the world.

SOURCE: Vetter Pharma-Fertigung GmbH & Co. KG