Five minutes with…
Dr. Jörg Blumhoff, Chemist Managing Director, ORGANICA Feinchemie GmbH Wolfen
Chemistry Today: How is the business going for ORGANICA and which directions do you see ahead?
Blumhoff: Business right now is going pretty well. In 2016 we had the most successful year in the history of ORGANICA and we are bringing this speed into 2017. We have a lot of new projects in the area of custom synthesis of advanced organic intermediates, and we see a lot of potential demand from the pharmaceutical industry. Geographically, the biggest market for us is Germany and Europe. We are now beginning to feel the “back from Asia” effect – several customers want to be on the safe side when it comes to a reliable supply and stable quality.
CT: And also GMP manufacturing?
Blumhoff: So far we offer mostly non-GMP production; we supply early intermediates so we act before GMP is required. We produce some a dye on lab-scale (several kg) under GMP conditions for one customer. Yet, we have both skill sets in house and we adopt the GMP thinking to our ISO production generating GMP-like conditions, as shown by our attention to QA and documentation at all production levels.
CT: What technological highlights single out ORGANICA?
Blumhoff: Quite a bit of safety-critical operations. We are specialized on azides, for example: we use sodium azide on a ton scale. We perform high-pressure reactions up to 50-80 bars. CS2, H2S, fumic sulfuric acid and more are included in our daily business.
CT: Did you consider flow chemistry?
Blumhoff: Flow chemistry is an interesting approach, but at ORGANICA we use batch processing. Nevertheless, we do not think it is just a fad: it has strengths, and maybe in the future we could have processes using it.
CT: What can ORGANICA offer that no one else can?
Blumhoff: First of all, due to our size and business model, we offer flexibility and speed in setting up and developing new products and processes. We can offer hard-to-find chemicals: If you have something that no one else seems to be able to supply … Come to us!
