An official name has been chosen for the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre’s automated platform, following a recent competition to name this critical component of the Grand Challenge 2 project.  The winning entry and the name by which the platform will now be formally known is PACE, which stands for Pharmacy Automation for Clinical Efficiency.

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is a result of a collaboration between CPI, the University of Strathclyde, UK Research and Innovation, Scottish Enterprise, AstraZeneca and GSK.  The centre aims to develop the medicines manufacturing processes of the future, enabling a more agile, responsive medicines supply chain through improved manufacturing processes. 

The initial focus of the centre is to deliver two ‘Grand Challenges’, with Grand Challenge 1 exploring how oral solid dosage medicines can be produced more robustly and efficiently by utilising continuous direct compression. Grand Challenge 2 is focused on how these medicines can then be delivered to patients with minimal waste and maximum speed, through the use of Just in Time (JIT) manufacture and supply capabilities. 

Work is currently underway to deliver Grand Challenge 2’s automated platform, now known as PACE, which will generate real-time quality data and produce GMP clinical stock for near-term forecasted demand and/or ‘real-time’ individual patient orders. The ambition is that this automation infrastructure will eventually enable the manufacture and release of medicine to patients in real time by digitally connecting the PACE platform to external GMP release systems. The combination of these components will enable greater availability of investigational medicines, adaptive supply strategies driven by the evolution of clinical study requirements, and a significant reduction in valuable wasted materials. 

Colin Mear Engineering Ltd (CME) has been awarded the contract to deliver PACE. Once complete, it will integrate with the real-time ordering and release software platforms being co-developed within the centre. 

Both Grand Challenge 1 and 2 are currently underway in existing CPI and University of Strathclyde facilities. The new centre will be located at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and is due for completion in 2021. A groundbreaking event will be taking place in March of this year.

For more information visit www.uk-cpi.com/mmic