Abbott has opened new development laboratories and a pilot plant facility that will research groundbreaking technologies and test large-scale production of newly developed drug formulations. The expansion is part of Abbott's global drug delivery business, SOLIQS, which is based in Ludwigshafen.

"Abbott is committed to advancing scientific innovation and bringing new medicines to patients," said John M Leonard, senior vice president, Pharmaceuticals, Research and Development, Abbott. "Innovative drug formulation is critical to the development of effective new treatments that make a difference for patients."

"Nearly 40 per cent of pharmaceutical compounds never reach the clinical study phase because they cannot be absorbed in the human body," said Jörg Breitenbach, senior director of drug product development and head of SOLIQS. "The SOLIQS expansion builds on Abbott's expertise in drug delivery technology and addresses the rising demand for innovative, patient-focused formulations."

The facility will evaluate new processes to complement its current proprietary technologies - Meltrex, Xellex, NanoMorph and smartCrystals - that target the formulation of soluble complex pharmaceutical substances. Using the Meltrex technology, Abbott developed a new tablet formulation of its leading protease inhibitor lopinavir/ritonavir (known as Kaletra), which is the first and only co-formulated protease inhibitor tablet that does not require refrigeration and can be taken with or without food - two important advances in delivering HIV medicine, especially in developing countries where disease prevalence is highest. The tablet formulation also offers the increased dosing convenience of fewer pills (a total daily dose of four tablets, instead of six soft-gel capsules).

Hendrik Hering, state minister for Economic Affairs of Rhineland-Palatinate, joined Abbott at the opening ceremony to recognize the company's continued commitment to investing in research in Germany. In addition to a new Formulation Development Center, which opened earlier this year at the company's headquarters, the SOLIQS expansion is part of Abbott's global investment in facilities and resources to advance its pipeline.

Abbott was founded on the idea that using new technologies and treatment approaches could dramatically improve the quality of care for patients.

SOLIQS is Abbott's global drug delivery business unit focused on improving the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble substances and the developing pharmaceuticals with a tailored dissolution profile.

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritional, devices and diagnostics.