West Pharmaceutical India Packaging Private Limited, a subsidiary of West Pharmaceutical Services Inc, Lionville USA, has started construction of its new compression molding manufacturing facility at Sri City in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

Initially, the company is planning to construct metal seal assembly and compression molding facility which will produce metal and electrometric pharmaceutical components used in primary packaging of injectable medicines manufactured by West’s Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers in India and for clients across Asia Pacific region.

Of the 72, 800 square meters of total land acquired by the company, the upcoming phase-1 built up area for the manufacturing facility is spread over 15, 300 square meters in the Special Economic zone. Initially the phase-1 of the project is expected to cost $ 30 to 40 million for the company.  

At present West Pharma holds about 70 per cent market share in India and serves a host of its high end customers like Dr. Reddy’s, Glenmark, Emcure, etc., in the country.

Today, West Pharma is known for providing top quality and technologically advanced drug delivery and packaging systems to the leaders of the global pharmaceutical industry across the world. Customers rely on West’s packaging systems and components for safety, efficiency, reliability and leading-edge technologies that improve drug administration.

Prior to commencement of this new facility, the company was operating its services from its facility in Singapore, where it has a state-of-the-art world class R&D centre. Once the present facility at Sri City starts its commercial operations by 2014, West Pharma will be able to provide its services at much more competitive prices and will help it to reach out customers in India with a greater ease.

“Initially we are planning to manufacture metal seals used for injectable medicines like oncology drugs, vaccines, insulin etc. In the next 12 months we will be able to start our first commercial production here in India. Since the cost of production here is considerably low we will be able to provide the same high quality and technologically advanced products and services at much affordable and much competitive process,” said Warwick Bedwell, President Pharmaceutical Packaging Systems, Asia Pacific Region.

Production of a range of West’s high-quality standard elastomeric components is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2015. The capability to produce ready-to-sterilize components will be available by 2016. The built up areas for the plant and office will be eventually reach 37, 700 square meters at the completion of phase -3 in the year 2023, informed the president.

The new manufacturing facility is also expected to provide skilled jobs to 140 people initially. “This investment is vital both for India and West Pharmaceuticals, because this is first of its kind facilities available in the entire Asian Pacific region. As India is growing as a global hub for contract manufacturing, presence of high end technologically advanced facility like this will definitely encourage industrial growth in the country,” Added the president.

With the commissioning of this new facility, the company is anticipating reduction in lead time for supply to customers in India. “By leveraging our global sourcing activities and process engineering expertise we will be able to carefully manage the overall costs of production,” said Warwick.

The company is also planning to file Drug Master Files for the plant with the United States Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada’s Bureau of Pharmaceutical Sciences.