Pharmaceutical technologies

What we do

Contact information:

Dr Jenny-Lee Panayides
Research Group Leader: Pharmaceutical Technologies
@email

Dr Duduetsang Saku
Business Development and Commercialisation Manager
@email

Highlights

New infrastructure for health and related industries

We can make pain relief drugs more affordable

South African researchers have successfully used a new technology to produce Celecoxib, the active ingredient in a common anti-inflammatory pain drug that is currently only available to private sector patients. The production process for this active ingredient was recently scaled up at the CSIR’s new FuturePharma facility in Pretoria, using an emerging technology called continuous flow chemistry. This builds on foundational research conducted by the University of Pretoria. Read more

New infrastructure for health and related industries

New infrastructure for health and related industries

The CSIR has established a state-of-the-art facility to support South Africa’s health and related industries. Funded by National Treasury through the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, the FuturePHARMA manufacturing facility enables the production of small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients using modern manufacturing technologies. This facility will also support process engineering, digital integration and the development of small and medium enterprises within the pharmaceutical sector.

Extraction process

Africa’s first open-access hub for advanced active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing

The CSIR has established Africa’s first open-access active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing hub that uses continuous flow technology. This is a major milestone in the continent’s efforts to localise pharmaceutical production and strengthen health sovereignty. Watch.

Our capabilities

Our FuturePHARMA (small molecules) facility is designed to provide local pharmaceutical companies and small-to-medium enterprises with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure for developing and producing high-quality active pharmaceutical ingredients, the essential chemical components used in medicines. The research team provides technical support in the development of hybrid batch-flow-biocatalytic processes for the production of active pharmaceutcial ingredients and fine chemicals.

facility

Our facilities

 

FuturePHARMA Facility
FuturePHARMA Facility

Our facility provides a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional production methods by implementing continuous flow manufacturing – a cutting-edge approach that is faster, safer and significantly more resource-efficient than conventional batch processing. It incorporates a wide variety of flow reactors, integrated analytics, real-time monitoring sensors and automated control systems to ensure optimal flow, reaction conditions and product quality. The production-scale pilot system demonstrates the potential of continuous flow technology to transform local manufacturing by reducing waste and energy consumption.