Asymchem establishes a Center of Flow & Continuous Technology (CFCT) and Center of Intelligent Manufacturing Technology (CIMT)

As the demand for new medications continues to increase, so is R&D spending for the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry.  In order to find ways to shorten the drug development timeline, the ability to fully utilize cutting-edge technologies has become a critical element for success. With this in mind, Asymchem (stock code: 002821.SZ) established the Center of Flow & Continuous Technology (CFCT) and Center of Intelligent Manufacturing Technology (CIMT). The establishment, located in Tianjin, China, was commemorated with an opening ceremony where senior leaders of Asymchem including Dr. Hao Hong, Chairman & CEO, Mr. Liang Hong, senior vice president, Dr. Yi Hsiao, senior vice president, and Mr. Yingwei Jiang, senior vice president, were in attendance.

These two technology centers will work hand in hand in promoting cutting-edge manufacturing technology, such as continuous flow, and enable Asymchem’s global client population to meet ever-growing market demands, and accelerate the development and launch of innovative drugs. Paving the way for Asymchem to establish itself by applying cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, securing Asymchem’s position as the “CDMO of the Future”.

Mr. Xiangke Xu, VP and Board Secretary, hosted the opening ceremony.  During the event, Mr. Jian Tao, head of CFCT, Dr. Mingzhi Zheng, and Ms. Lu Lu, directors of CIMT, presented each centers vision and overall strategy. During Dr. Hao Hong’s speech, he stated that with the establishment of several technology centers, Asymchem will continue to focus on the development of cutting-edge manufacturing technology to lead and drive the continuous advancement in the pharmaceutical industry.

 

Continuous Flow Technology – The new competitive edge

In recent years, there is increasing pressure in the pharmaceutical industry to reduce cost and environmental impact.  Continuous flow technology has become the obvious choice with greater safety, shorter reaction time, higher yield, lower energy consumptions, and emission.  But due to its high technology threshold and entry barrier to implement during drug development phases, only a few big global pharma enterprises have mastered its application at production scale.  To enable wide industry application of this technology, Asymchem has invested heavily in flow chemistry and its application towards large-scale production for over a decade and will continue to do so with the establishment of the Center of Flow & Continuous Technology (CFCT). CFCT is responsible for developing innovative flow technology and provide full technical and R&D services which include reaction design and custom-made equipment allowing implementation on large scale. In the future, Asymchem will continue to invest and advance the theory and pharmaceutical manufacturing application of this evolving technology.  CFCT will also collaborate with Asymchem’s Center of Biosynthesis Technology (CBST), Chemical Macro Molecule Development (CMMD), and CIMT to take full advantage of flow technology, to benefit modern applications such as continuous cell-free protein synthesis and flow fermentation.


AI: The Future of Drug Development & Manufacturing

The semi-annual research report on China’s artificial intelligence software and application market (2019H2) released by IDC shows that China’s artificial intelligence market will reach the US $12.75 billion by 2024. AI is not only the strongest driving force in new infrastructure but also will become the next evolution of industrial digital and intelligent transformation. However, the implementation of AI technology in the pharmaceutical industry has not been adopted at the same pace.  For that reason, Asymchem established the Center of Intelligent Manufacturing (CIMT) to maximize the full potential of data and technology.  This center will be responsible for conducting data analysis, comprehensive R&D, production, logistics, and more to determine best practices leading to more efficient production and output. It will also consider the pilot-scale intelligent experimental platform of full automation + PAT(Process analysis technology), where we have previously developed algorithms, realizing model control and adaptive parameter adjustment, and began relying more on digital accuracy.

In the future, CIMT will be integrated within the CED (Chemical Engineering Department) and IT team and will work together with the company’s R & D, production, and analysis teams as well as CBST, CFCT, QA, BD, procurement, supply chain, and other sectors respectively. The goal is to continue to expand the scale of automation and digitization of R & D and production, production management, and quickly locate process problems through comparison of historical data.  This integrated data platform will allow for process optimization and solutions related to reaction models, simulate production, and futures adjustments of process parameters, to achieve the optimal quality and safety control improving the comprehensive efficiency of equipment and further reduce the production cost.

Since its inception, Asymchem keeps on innovating and investing in new technologies by anticipating the pharmaceutical development trend to meet new demands in both R&D and production. As a result, Asymchem is well-positioned to be a global partner in drug development and manufacturing.