PCI Pharma continues UK investment programme

PCI Pharma Services (PCI), full-service provider of specialist outsourced drug manufacturing, clinical trial services, and commercial packaging to the global biopharmaceutical industry, has announced a significant expansion of its onsite Cold Chain storage capabilities at its Hay-on-Wye site.

The announcement is the latest in a series of strategic investments at PCI, demonstrating its market-leading presence in Biotech therapies, supporting medicines destined reach to more than 100 countries around the world.

PCI Pharma Services has announced further UK investment at its Hay-on-Wye site / Picture: PCI Pharma

As a Centre of Excellence for clinical and commercial packaging, PCI’s Hay-on-Wye site is always seeking to improve on the services offered and to provide innovative market-leading solutions based on customer need. Over the past two months alone, development at the site has included: increasing onsite capacity by a further 250%; the doubling of onsite -40°C freezer capacity and the further doubling of onsite -80°C freezer capacity; doubling PCI’s serialization capabilities on site and further investment in equipment.

“A large proportion of the 50 products we launch on average each year are drugs with end-to-end Cold Chain storage and logistics needs. Meanwhile, across PCI we have taken a long-term approach to ensuring highly specialist Serialization and Anticounterfeiting preparation for the new global security requirements that will be coming into effect soon,” said Gareth Lewis, PCI’s Commercial and Supply Chain Director at Hay-on-Wye. “These extensive installations at our Hay site reflect our continued and considerable investment in both areas, and our commitment to ensuring the highest quality service for our customers worldwide.”

Over the past two years, PCI has focused on tripling its overall Serialization capacity across its global network in compliance with the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), and the impending European Falsified Medicines Directive (EU FMD), as well as in-country requirements in emerging markets. These additional Serialization lines at Hay-on-Wye enhance the site’s existing security capabilities in advance of the final phase of the EU FMD, which will be implemented from February 9, 2019.

PCI’s increased Cold Chain facilities for 2-8°C, -40°C and -80°C temperatures at its Hay-on-Wye site support medicines needing specific refrigerated or frozen conditions. The additional storage is complemented by further infrastructure to meet fast-growing market demand for injectable delivery forms with vial labeling, syringe labeling and assembly, as well as labeling and assembly of autoinjectors and pens.

Chris Dobbs, PCI Head of Technical Engineering at Hay-on-Wye, added: “The expansion at our Hay site reflects our strategy for investment across our global PCI network, which is focused on delivering industry-leading customer experience through state-of-the-art technologies, offering secure, adaptable, easy-to-use and scalable solutions.”