GE Healthcare will install India’s first-ever FlexFactory, a single-use manufacturing platform to expand the biologics production capacity of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories at its facility in Hyderabad.

FlexFactory will make Dr. Reddy’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing set-up more flexible and efficient, strengthening the company’s position in the global biosimilars market . It will allow  the company  to continue increasing patient access across the world for biotech-based therapies.

It will also help the company to  increase its capacity to meet both the expected growth of its currently marketed biosimilars as well as support the launch of a significant portfolio of new biosimilar products in the years to come. The overall project set-up timeline for FlexFactory is typically 9 to 12 months.

There will be  transition from stainless steel to single-use technologies that bring enhanced flexibility and efficiency into their manufacturing set-up. Single-use technologies facilitate multi-product manufacturing and improve productivity by increasing the number of lots manufactured, as the change over time between products can be reduced by 50 percent or more.

“We strongly believe that the FlexFactory platform from GE will enable us to rapidly ramp-up capacity and serve more patients in both emerging markets and highly regulated markets,” said Cartikeya Reddy, Head, Biologics, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.

According to Milind Palsule, Country Manager, South Asia, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, India  has one of the fastest growing biopharma sectors in the world and we are keen to support this development and the production capability of Indian pharma players with the latest biopharma technology and know-how.

GE Healthcare’s FlexFactory is a centrally automation integrated, flexible biomanufacturing platform. It allows manufacturers to quickly and seamlessly establish biopharmaceutical manufacturing capacity within an existing building or as part of a new facility. The  manufacturing platforms are currently in operation throughout the world including Asia, Europe and the United States and offer a consistent platform for collaboration or transplant to other facilities.