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.”

Mr Vivek Partheeban, Chief Operating Officer at Caplin Group, commented: “Our excellent relationships with a number of existing GEA customers has certainly been beneficial and we were well prepared to make the right decision: we knew which solution we wanted and, at the same time, we were aware of the financial implications as well!” To meet the delivery and commercial expectations of the Caplin Group, Chetan Rathi, Pharma Head for Asia-Pacific, and Arco Hamelink, Vice President Global Solid Dosage Sales, Pharma, played a vital role during the negotiation period to find some middle ground. Openly discussing the reasons behind the costs and explaining GEA’s excellent around-the-clock support services, a bond of trust was established, which sealed the deal.In a segment in which some companies struggle to do business, GEA continues to demonstrate a strong presence, excellent service and the ability to deliver outstanding solutions, especially for oncology and hormone applications. 

“We’re delighted to add the Caplin Group to our long list of happy customers in this area and look forward to building on this welcome relationship by assisting them with future projects,” said Raman Singh. “Containment applications represent a considerable growth opportunity for GEA. To succeed in this market, a strong local assistance, end-to-end solutions and a comprehensive service network that meet the needs of seamless, high-volume production will be critical,” he added. “GEA’s trusted batch and continuous OSD solutions and process know-how will have a major role to play, complemented by our regionalized supply chains delivering worldclass price-performance solutions.”