Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline announce technology development partnership

Pfizer has announced a new pharmaceutical development and manufacturing technology alliance with GlaxoSmithKline.

The multi-year collaboration will focus on the development of a next-generation equipment design, building upon Pfizer's existing portable, continuous, miniature and modular (PCMM) prototype for oral solid dose (OSD) pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

With the current PCMM prototype, users can benefit from an autonomous and transportable pod that can be quickly relocated and brought online to create a fully functional module compliant with industry-standard good manufacturing practice guidelines.

It is hoped that GlaxoSmithKline can help to develop this technology further, ultimately allowing therapies to be more quickly and efficiently delivered to patients.

Rod MacKenzie, senior vice-president for pharmatherapeutics research and development at Pfizer, said: "We believe coupling Pfizer's industry-leading development and manufacturing capabilities with GlaxoSmithKline's experience and expertise in continuous processing has the potential to lead to a superior technology."

During the third quarter of 2015, the company saw its reported revenues increase by six percent year on year on an operational basis.