Italy-based IMA Group companies – IMA Life and IMA Active – held a grand opening of IMA India Pharma Process in Mumbai on 20 and 21 March to introduce the new sales team in India focused on the sales and service of solid dose, aseptic processing, filling technology and freeze-drying solutions.
On 20 March at the JW Marriot Sahar Hotel, IMA Group held a presentation of the new sales branch, whose headquarters are located within the existing IMA-PG India facility in Mumbai, which has been taking care of the sales and service of IMA’s pharmaceutical packaging equipment (IMA Safe division). Post the presentations, the guests were invited to attend two dedicated technology sessions where speakers from IMA Life and IMA Active presented new technological developments, innovative solutions and manufacturing strategies. On the second day, 21 March, guests experienced live demos at the IMA-PG plant focused on IMA Active’s Prexima and Sensum machines.
Talking about the technical presentations and how they helped the guests Michele Arduini, IMA Life sales and marketing director, said, “This inauguration ceremony offered us the perfect opportunity to introduce how IMA Life can create value for our customers through the technology, process knowledge and service support. The main topics of the technical presentations focused upon sophisticated aseptic filling techniques for liquid and powder products, decontamination cycle technologies in isolated filling lines and advanced solutions in freeze drying in-process monitoring and control practices. Special attention was dedicated to the Quantum, our new non-invasive technique capable of performing quantitative real-time process measurements applied to freeze drying and to the Continuous Freeze Drying improved process.”
Luca Cavazzini, IMA Active sales and marketing director, said, “The grand opening event was a great opportunity for a brief introduction to IMA Active machine portfolio for each solid dose processing phase: granulation, tableting, capsule filling, weight checking, coating, handling and washing. A special insight on APV Expert Workshop Tableting showed the results of the practical demonstrations: Prexima performed the best stability of tablets weight in production conditions and with different formulations.”
IMA Group is very optimistic about the process and packaging market in Indian pharma industry because of the growth potential that the industry offers. India accounts for 20 percent of global exports in generics. India’s pharmaceutical exports stood at US$ 16.84 billion in 2016-17 and are expected to reach US$ 20 billion by 2020. During April – November 2017, India exported pharmaceutical products worth US$ 8.49 billion. By 2024-25, India’s biotech industry is estimated to increase to US$ 100 billion from US$ 11 billion in FY 2015-16.
Finally talking about some of the new products in the offing, Arduini said, “The pharmaceutical industry has been increasingly embracing injectables as a consistently profitable business sector, injectables being the only practical route for the delivery of macromolecules and biologics in particular. IMA Life aseptic filling lines for the processing of liquid, powder and lyo products, together with our innovative solution for robotic fill/finish systems to handle ready to fill (RTF) components, are the right response to this need.”
According to Cavazzini, “Years of experience and expertise in the industry have been carefully channelled into PREXIMA 800, IMA Active’s tablet press machine suitable for bi-layer tableting production. PREXIMA 800 is designed for high production output, up to 1,044,000 tablets/hour. Isolation of the processing area, 360° accessibility, exceptionally sturdy structure makes Prexima 800 the best solution to handle all powders.”
