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Allergy Labs (Oklahoma City), a manufacturer of biological extracts for the diagnostic testing and therapeutic treatment of allergies, plans to attend co-located Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO International 2014 (November 2-5, McCormick Place, Chicago) to source solutions for future projects, and new technologies to bolster the efficiency of its current lines.
When Allergy Labs Director of Operations Lee Beaver attended PACK EXPO International 2006, he established a lasting relationship with exhibitor AWS Bio-Pharma Technologies. It’s been a profitable and productive partnership for both companies — and both continue to attend the show regularly.
“It was there that we found the resources to advance our business,” said Beaver. “Meeting AWS at PACK EXPO International 2006 was the start of a brand-new facility.”
AWS helped Allergy Labs expand its operations by streamlining the construction of a brand new facility for the manufacture of drug products in vials – specifically allergy products and orders pertaining to contract manufacturing.
Building for Success
Allergy Labs offers more than 500 different biological extracts for physicians and hospitals. The company specializes in individualized formulas as well as contract manufacturing of for hospitals and institutional settings, as well as vasodilators, vasoconstrictors and central nervous system (CNS) drugs. Executives at Allergy Labs had considered building a new facility from the ground up – their production demands were increasing steadily— but initially hesitated because of the perceived overall expense.
AWS, an industry leader in guiding companies through the process of constructing and outfitting new facilities, quickly demonstrated how Allergy Labs could build the facility they wanted — quickly and cost effectively.
“I needed a smarter, better way to build this new facility and AWS had some great ideas,” said Warren Johnson, owner and vice president of Allergy Labs.
Strengthening the Bond
As part of the Allergy Labs’ initiative to service its clients with the highest level of expertise, Bruce Anthenat, owner and president of AWS, met with Johnson to advise on the best technologies to outfit the facility.
Allergy Lab’s new sterile manufacturing facility required specialty pharmaceutical products supplied by AWS’ distributor network. These included a new depyrogenation tunnel to sterilize vials for injectable drugs prior to filling; product inspection equipment, a vial washer, conveyor and transfer system, and a capper – nearly an entire drug production line – from AWS. Allergy Labs also invested in a vapor compression still to cover the additional demands on its water for the injection system required by the second line. A clean steam generator was also installed to sterilize the machinery and its components and a pre-treatment skid to prepare the city water for use at the plant.
“AWS turned into a one-stop-shop for all of Allergy Labs’ needs. We didn’t have to involve half a dozen engineers, bogging down the process. We saved a lot of money and time dealing with AWS in addition to seeing a great rise in plant efficiency,” said Johnson.
Plan, then Build
While Johnson was impressed with AWS’s ability to provide a seamless blueprint and feasible timeline for development of the facility, it was the in-depth consultation at all levels that ultimately enhanced the delivery and solidified the relationship between the two companies.
AWS provided Allergy Labs with engineering services, including project conceptualization, line throughput and floor layout. Allergy Labs also invested in a modular clean room system and aseptic fill-finish systems for injectable drug manufacturing, and to this day, AWS continues to liaise between its channel partners and Allergy Labs to ensure and maintain Allergy Labs’ streamlined manufacturing process and proper equipment function.
“As an owner, Bruce [Anthenat] took personal initiative in the project and got the new Greenfield facility up and running in 17 months against an 18-month schedule,” said Johnson. “From the installation and commissioning of the equipment, AWS made sure the entire project was fully integrated and ran seamlessly. And, product output increased as a result of AWS’s inside-out design for utilizing floor space.”
“For our process, we decide which pieces of equipment will optimally fit into the client’s parameters. We design the interior first, and then construct the shell of the building – a unique process which saves money and increases efficiency,” said Anthenat.
Building a Path for the Future
AWS and Allergy Labs will meet again at Pharma EXPO 2014, co-located with PACK EXPO International, to discuss future endeavors and ongoing projects, including new inspection machines and CAPF, a new AWS concept for best practices. CAPF addresses the growing desire for companies to adequately design R&D, clinical trial material and small production batch facilities. Through this initiative, AWS aims to help pharmaceutical companies assemble a complete aseptic processing facility in just 14 months.
“AWS looks forward to attending Pharma EXPO this year. The industry focused event will surely provide a captive audience to showcase our services and offerings,” said Anthenat.
“The specialized vertical pavilion at PACK EXPO has always been a good resource for Allergy Labs. I can only imagine what kind of new technology and ideas we’ll find at Pharma EXPO,” said Johnson.
Pharma EXPO will offer packaging, processing and supply chain solutions for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical product manufacturers. It will be a key resource for manufacturers to connect with supply chain partners, source new technologies and participate in valuable educational sessions delivered by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE).
The co-located Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO International are expected to attract 50,000 attendees and 2,000 exhibiting companies – covering more than 1.1 million net square feet of exhibit space.
Visit pharmaexpo.com to be notified when registration opens for the show.
