A number of unit operations are combined in Continuous manufacturing (CM), which continuously processes raw materials to create the finished pharmaceutical product. Continuous Manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry has evolved from a trendy term to a reality in recent years.
Multi-step pharmaceutical product manufacturing is known as batch manufacturing. Production halts at the conclusion of each phase before continuing on to the next. These hold periods can change based on the process’s following step.
The fact that batch manufacturing is well-established and effective is its key advantage. Additionally, regulators have given pharmaceutical businesses approval for their medications based on the fact that they are manufactured in batches.
Advantages of Continuous Manufacturing
The benefits of continuous manufacturing include:
- Decreased manufacturing costs, especially in the long run
- Shorter production periods – it’s not unusual for manufacturing times to be cut from weeks to days
- Lowers the chance of human error
- Increases quality
- Monitoring is more effective when manufacturing processes are continuous
- Use predictive maintenance and automated monitoring procedures frequently
In other words, continuous manufacturing makes it far simpler to match supply to demand than batch manufacturing does.
Advantages of Batch Manufacturing
- Smaller quantities of items produced
- Multi-use capabilities
- Lower cost
- Greater quality control
- Waste reduction
- Helps with contingency planning
- Useful for seasonal items
Given the need to make sure patients may access life-saving medications with the guarantee of the highest levels of safety and quality, the demand for flexibility in manufacturing technologies has never been stronger.
While batch processing, which has been the preferred manufacturing method for pharmaceutical manufacturing for the past 50 years, will continue to be the de facto norm — at least for the immediate future — continuous manufacturing will gradually play a greater role in satisfying these objectives.
The secret is for CDMOs (Contract Development Manufacturing Organizations) to analyse all possibilities while taking into account the cutting-edge new procedures and technologies that are revolutionising the pharmaceutical sector, but also adopting a shrewd and pragmatic approach to choose the finest option currently on the market.