Speed-to-market, efficiency, flexibility, quality
These aren’t just buzzwords — they’re critical goals every pharma manufacturer must achieve to bring new therapies to patients. The challenge lies in how to reach them.
In today’s unpredictable global economy — where rising costs, trade barriers and supply chain disruptions create constant pressure — manufacturers must stay agile. Success depends on choosing the right technology and service partners to deliver with confidence.
To address these issues, Fette Compacting recently partnered with contract manufacturer CMIC CMO USA to host an open house appropriately titled, “What’s Next?”
During the event, thought leaders focused on how manufacturers can overcome today’s challenges and achieve their market goals. In particular, the event explored the evolution of continuous manufacturing (CM) and gave attendees the opportunity to see Fette’s solid dose continuous processing system, FE CPS, in action at the CMIC facility in Cranbury, New Jersey.
Evolution of CM
The idea of replacing outdated batch processing methods with an end-to-end continuous process has existed in the pharma industry for over two decades. On paper, CM can overcome the limitations of batch, such as long production cycles, inconsistent quality, and high costs. It can reduce the risk of contamination and human error, enhance supply chain reliability, and support sustainable manufacturing practices by minimizing waste and energy consumption.
But in practice, broad implementation within the pharma industry has been met with challenges. Equipment is expensive and requires in-house expertise in CM. Implementing new production lines can take several years and without the right support, can fail to perform as expected.
With its solid dosage continuous processing system, FE CPS, Fette aims to make the technology accessible for more pharma manufacturers. The system combines continuous feeders, a high-precision continuous blender and a compacting rotary tablet press — all synchronized for uninterrupted production. Its modular design allows easy scalability and adaptability to different product requirements, facilitating rapid product changeovers and minimizing downtime.
The system’s compact footprint enables better utilization of manufacturing space and allows for the entire line to be well-integrated in existing tablet production facilities in a single-level set up, offering a turnkey overall solution for continuous manufacturing.
Spreading CM Worldwide
According to Takahiro Ueda, CEO of CMIC CMO USA, continuous manufacturing is key to the company’s U.S. strategy, differentiating the company in the market. The Japan-based parent company, CMIC Group, which launched in the U.S. in 2007, now operates an extensive network of facilities across Asia, North America and Europe.
The CMIC CMO USA collaboration with Fette marks a milestone on the path to making continuous manufacturing more accessible, combining Fette’s CM expertise with CMIC’s GMP-certified production capabilities to demonstrate what the future of oral solid dose manufacturing could look like.
The integration of the FE CPS system positions CMIC Cranbury at the forefront of innovation, providing scalable, flexible solutions for both development and commercial-scale production of OSD products. The collaboration means that, for the first time, pharma companies can access Fette’s full range of technologies — including the FE CPS, emulator systems and F Lab powder analysis services — in a certified GMP setting. The partnership integrates FE CPS into CMIC’s clean rooms, enabling real efficiency gains and regulatory confidence. The unique setup enables faster development, realistic testing and seamless scale-up to production.
Ultimately, the partnership offers a lab-to-production concept — a holistic approach to process and product development that supports customers from the initial idea to full-scale production.
What’s Next for OSD Production
While continuous manufacturing for oral solid dosage products is not a new concept, Fette Compacting has packaged all the pieces together in one technology solution. In his session during the open house, Spyros Kintzios, director of corporate development for Uni Pharma S.A., talked about the “democratization” of continuous manufacturing via new technologies. Advancements like Fette’s FE CPS system, especially when utilized by knowledgeable contract partners such as CMIC, could ultimately make CM commonplace in the production of drug products.