Contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Saneca Pharma is driving forward with new research and development initiatives for the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) following a €1.5 million grant from the Slovak Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport.

The funding has enabled the central-Europe based company to strengthen its pharmaceutical development services and establish a new R&D department, with 25 employees now based at its facility in Hlohovec, Slovakia.

Saneca Pharma received the four-year grant in partnership with organic synthesis specialist, TAU-CHEM Ltd. The two companies have now embarked on complementary research projects that will serve to strengthen Slovakia’s pharmaceutical industry.

The CDMO’s initiatives include laboratory research for the preparation of APIs, with a particular focus on chiral molecules and emphasis on the principles of sustainable development and ‘green chemistry’. As part of this, the company will look at energy efficient production methods and the use of renewable raw materials.

Using the team’s opiate development and manufacturing expertise, combined with the technical agility afforded by the breadth of technologies available on site, the CDMO will also explore abuse resistant techniques for finished dosage forms.

Jan Batka, API sales director at Saneca Pharma, said: “The funding has enabled us to accelerate our R&D strategy by creating a specialist team and applying our  know-how in bringing new generic molecules and intermediates into our portfolio.

“There are a number of advantages that can be realised through partnering with a Slovakia-based CDMO, including the highly skilled workforce, central European location and competitive pricing. It’s great to receive additional support from the state to help grow the country’s pharmaceutical industry to its full potential.”

Jan continued: “In 2017 we plan to double our annual R&D expenditure in this area, creating broader research opportunities that will enable us to achieve a competitive advantage in the global pharmaceutical market.”

Based in western Slovakia, with close proximity to Vienna, Saneca Pharma develops and manufactures a variety of finished dosage forms, with strong capabilities in solids and semi-solids and specialist expertise in the development of opiate APIs and finished dosage forms from farm to pharmacy.