When Caplin first considered producing oncology drugs, they decided to start product development using their in-house R&D to save time and, concurrently, search for flexible equipment that could handle their commercial batch requirement. Speed was an absolute imperative: if Caplin was able to start production and reach the market with their first product by March 2022, they could capitalize on the commercial benefits offered by the local government.

Caplin was already in touch with a well-known, commercially attractive supplier of pharmaceutical containment equipment. But, while talking to other oncology product manufacturers in India, they found that almost all of them were using GEA solutions. As such, wishing to find out more, Caplin soon contacted us to discuss our leading containment solutions. With a wealth of experience in this field, we were able to suggest a number of options and recommend appropriate equipment to meet their needs. As a result, Caplin selected a complete end-to-end process line from GEA, including a PharmaConnect® Plus integrated granulator, material handling equipment and a MODUL P tablet press to accommodate a working volume requirement of 12–120L.

As an absolute priority, Caplin wanted to conclude the project and start production as soon as possible; the project demanded that a number of meetings were done in a short timeframe of one month, including two full weeks of on-site face to face meetings. As such, extensive efforts were made during the sales phase. “It’s very important to note,” says Raman Singh, Pharma Sales responsible for Asia-Pacific, “that all these meetings had to be done during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Health and safety were paramount, and every precaution was taken to keep everyone safe. Once again, I’m extremely grateful for the help and assistance of Mr Bhavesh Mandalia, Regional Sales Manager for Asia-Pacific.”