Swiss Datwyler’s Pune unit ready for its first sample

16/6/2018

PUNE (HYDERABAD): Datwyler, Switzerland-based drug packaging and medical devices solutions provider serving parental drug makers and diagnostics application companies, will be ready with its first commercial samples from the newly expanded First Line production at Kesurdi in Pune, from September onwards.

The Pune unit, which utilises 90 per cent of its production to meet export needs and the remaining 10 per cent serving domestic market, will increase the domestic supplies to 50 per cent by 2021, after the next phase of expansion.

Pune facilities make rubber components for injectable products such as vaccines and oncology products. The expansion of Datwyler’s facility in Pune to accommodate First Line, the company’s own manufacturing and production concept in the industry, is almost completed.

First Line is designed to produce the advanced closure solution Omni Flex. The company develops complex and unique coatings and rubber compounds enabling customers to fill syringes with medicine. The company makes elastomer components for regional and global markets.

Datwyler provides a range of future-proof health care sealing solutions and services for primary and secondary packaging. This includes elastomer formulations, proprietary coatings, sterilisation options, and aluminium seals for production lines, meeting the demands of pharma industry. In India, Datwyler’s core business consists of container closures.

The company’s products are built using quality material, innovative technologies, engineering and process know-how. With a global manufacturing footprint having seven manufacturing facilities on three continents, sales in over 100 countries and more than 7,000 employees, Datwyler Group generates revenue of about €1.200 million. There are two facilities in North America, two in Europe, two in Italy, one in Germany and one in Pune, India.

The company is in the process of setting up a new unit in Delaware in North America to cater to North America markets, making it the eighth unit under development. This will make samples for certification by the first quarter of 2019. The company globally makes 16 billion component units annually, of which Pune currently contributes about 2 billion and post expansion, this number will touch 4 billion.

Domestic opportunities

Datwyler Pharma Packaging International EMEA Sales Head Roelant Storms told pune-news.com, “The Indian market is of strategic value to Datwyler. As one of the global manufacturing destinations, India’s pharmaceutical and biotech markets continue to grow rapidly. Indian biosimilars market is estimated at $300 million with over 50 biosimilars approved for marketing in the country. There are more than 200 companies in India using Datwyler’s solutions. India is the biggest growth market in the range of 25-30 per cent year-on-year, above the global average of 10-11 per cent. The nation is a price competitive market like advanced European markets.”

The company makes a revenues of CHF (Swiss Franc) 320 million globally through its healthcare division, of which India accounts for about 10 per cent (CHF 30 million). Currently, Bharat Serum, Claris and Mylan use the company’s solutions in India and Pfizer, GSK and Eli Lilly globally besides other global majors.

On the Pune plant, he informed, “The latest expansion of Datwyler’s production facility in Pune is almost completed. Once the new production line is operating to full capacity, the company’s production volume will exceed approximately 4 billion components per year, enabling Datwyler to provide locally manufactured elastomer components. With this facility, the company is also setting up a new benchmark for cleanroom production in India and the Asian region.”

The Pune facility is certified with ISO 15378. The new expansion will cover an additional 24,000 square metre to the existing facility and is expected to be completed in 2021. The plant which currently employs 500-550 people will have an employee base of over 1,000, post 2021. Expanding production facility at Pune to double capacity to 4 bn components by 2021. The company’s facility in Pune makes rubber components for injectable products such as vaccines and oncology.