Cook's $80 Milion Capability Expansion

Cook Pharmica, the contract biopharmaceutical manufacturing division of Cook Medical, will be expanding capabilities to include formulation, filling and finishing. With the addition of this capability, Cook Pharmica, currently aimed at developing and manufacturing cell culture-based products, will be a centralized source for biotech and pharmaceutical clients' needs from cell line development through parenteral finished packaging.

Cook Pharmica intends to expand its contract manufacturing to include aseptically-filled parenteral vials and syringes for products such as simple solutions and diluents, suspensions, vaccines, proteins and biologics. The expansion, named Project Eos for the Greek goddess of the dawn, will support two filling lines and complementary finishing lines. The design includes one high-speed syringe filling line and one low- to medium-speed vial filling line with lyophilization capacity up to 250ft2. Leading-edge technology will be incorporated in the expansion. The syringe filling line will incorporate electron-beam sterilization and both lines will utilize isolators. Inova and Klee brand equipment will be provided by Optima Group Pharma GmbH and the isolator and electron-beam equipment will be supplied by Metal and Plastic.

Project Eos is targeted to be on-line in early 2010. Approximately 200 new jobs are expected to be added once the facility is fully operational, including professional, hourly and management employees. Additional space remains with more than 600,000ft2 for potential expansion on the existing campus.

Until 2001, Cook Pharmaceutical Solutions operated as a full service parenteral contract manufacturer in Bloomington, IN. Building on this expertise, Cook Pharmica intends to fulfill a key niche in the contract manufacturing market for customers seeking complete services for their outsourcing needs.

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