AM Technology are pleased to announce their participation in a project to develop flow processes for industrial synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds. The Pharmagen project is being coordinated by Serichim Srl and has other five partners; Flamma SA, Apotechnia SA, Carbopharm GbmH, PSE Ltd and LDTI Sri. This work is being funded by the EU Commision DG Research within the VII Framework Program for Research and Development.

Global manufacturing costs, for pharmaceutical products in 2008 exceeded $200 billion. Greater use of flow chemistry within the industry will bring substantial benefits in terms of reduced manufacturing costs, lower carbon footprints and less pollution. Developing flow chemistry techniques for industrial pharmaceutical processes however faces a variety of technical and regulatory hurdles. The Pharmagen project will use a multi disciplinary approach for tackling these problems "Simultaneously controlling axial dispersion, mixing rate and reaction time in flow reactors can be very difficult, particularly where there is more than one phase" Said Robert Ashe of AM Technology.

"This project brings together an outstanding combination of skills from manufacturing, simulation, engineering and chemistry. This approach will greatly accelerate the problem solving process in what is a complex area of process control" AM Technology were selected as partners on this project for their experience and knowhow in reactor design. Based in Cheshire UK, they have extensive experience in the design and construction of both batch and continuous reactions. Their patented Coflore ACR (Agitated Cell Reactor) is the first truly modular multi stage CSTR and represents a breakthrough in flow reactor design. Dynamic mixers combined with multiple reaction stages, give the ACR outstanding mixing, plug flow and great versatility. The ACR is ideal for multi phase mixtures and its inherently low pressure drop characteristics simplify selection and calibration of the flow pumps.