AstraZeneca

Academic and technical experts from the School of Chemical and Process Engineering (SCAPE) have started work on a set of projects with AstraZeneca (AZ), based around Manufacturability Design. The collaboration will work to understand the chemical and physical engineering issues involved in ensuring reliable production of pharmaceutical materials.

The characteristics of these formulated materials can be substantially affected when changes in production take place, such as scaling up, or relocating to another factory or plant unit. Designing process methods and conditions which acknowledge the complex behaviour of particles and liquids is a real scientific challenge that our teams in Chemical Engineering and The Institute of Process Research and Development (iPRD) are well placed to meet. Learning from centre activities will also enable a better understanding of risks involved in the scaling and sourcing of materials for new product development programmes.

The projects are taking place primarily in Leeds at the Centre for Manufacturability Design, but opportunities exist to access facilities and share learning in AZ laboratories as well as connect with state of the art facilities at the Diamond Synchrotron Light Source in Oxfordshire.

The partnership is planned over a five year period and will largely be based around a series of short feasibility projects which will serve to identify areas for more detailed research. The lead principle investigator’s (PIs) for the project are Professors John Blacker and Mojtaba Ghadiri. The centre’s aim is to become a leading centre for research into Manufacturability Design in the context of formulated products.