The outsourcing of semi-solids in the pharmaceutical industry has grown in the past several years and will continue well into the future. The strength of the semi-solids market is much more heavily weighted on OTC products as they generally require higher volumes and there are more products approved on the market. The prescription market for semi-solids is focused on smaller volume products for applications such as dermatology 1. The skin care and cosmetic or cosmeceutical products (anti-aging, anti-wrinkle creams, etc) are also a growing segment as cosmetic companies are increasingly outsourcing the manufacturing of their high-end products to cGmp facilities that will meet and guarantee high quality standards. Other specialty products such as veterinary products and homeopathic products are also experiencing the same growth.
There are some significant differences between semi-solid manufacturing and other conventional dosage forms, both in formulations and in their business models. For example, many products such as creams and ointments require significant levels of alcohol content in the production of the products that require specific manufacturing capabilities and storage. Many products also require formulation characteristics to impact the permeability of the product and the systemic absorption. This constraint can present challenges in the early phase of development. Many of the same QA/QC issues are present between the semi-solids and solid dosage forms such as filing batches, validation, stability testing and timelines1.
As a CMO, Importfab has been manufacturing a variety of semi-solid and liquid products since 1990. With a cGMP facility located in Montreal, Canada, Importfab is FDA registered and Health Canada approved. Importfab offers manufacturing capabilities ranging from laboratory to pilot plant batches to scale-ups. Our facility is equipped with computer-controlled stainless steel jacketed tanks, homogenizers, mills and fillers that can accommodate products with a wide variety of viscosities. Our packaging operations handle plastic, laminate and metal tubes; plastic and glass bottles; jars, pumps and nasal sprays of different sizes and specifications. Importfab is a strategic partner for high quality manufacturing of semisolids and liquids for companies of all sizes, especially small to medium size corporations.
Importfab has a proven track record for on-time deliveries, reliability and a strong and consistent quality and compliance performance. Our team will work closely with Supply chain and outsourcing management, technical transfer, operations, QA/QC and other members of our client’s team in order to meet the project’s objective. Trust, transparent communication will certify product compliance to the client specifications to deliver the product in a timely manner.
1 Semisolid Manufacturing Marketplace: Contract Pharma, Jan/Feb 2007