At the time, most pharmaceutical manufacturing lines relied on batch processing. These systems had served the industry well for decades, but market conditions were shifting.
The end of the blockbuster drug era, rising material costs, and the emergence of personalised medicines had created demand for smaller production runs, faster changeovers, and more efficient use of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Meanwhile, other process industries had already embraced continuous technologies, integrating end-to-end production in closed, automated systems that delivered consistent quality while reducing waste and downtime.
It was only a matter of time before pharma began to explore the same principles. Naturally, GEA was ready.
From first to established leader
GEA’s CM journey began in 2004 when the company started developing its first continuous manufacturing system for oral solid dosage forms.
This work led to the launch of the ConsiGma® 25 in 2007. This fully integrated unit was capable of wet granulation, drying, and tableting at a nominal throughput of 25 kg/h.
The lab-scale ConsiGma® 1, introduced in 2011, further transformed development efficiency by enabling continuous high-shear granulation and drying with just a few hundred grams of material.
For the first time, customers could explore process parameters and scale-out to commercial production using the same design principles, eliminating the traditional challenges of scale-up.
As a result of ongoing improvement and close collaboration with industry partners, the ConsiGma® platform has evolved with time. A notable addition to the portfolio was the introduction of direct compression (DC) lines in 2012.
Today, GEA has the largest installed base of CM systems worldwide. A vast portfolio of existing medicines has been transferred to continuous manufacturing, and many new drugs gaining FDA approval have been developed using CM — mostly using GEA technology.
GEA has continually refined its technology to make it more efficient, easier to clean, quicker to changeover, and simpler to run — all without compromising process control, quality, or performance.
A catalyst for change
Janet Woodcock, Director of the US FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), famously noted: “The development of personalised medicines, products developed for specific populations or subgroups and/or treatments will certainly result in a decline in the need for batch-produced ‘generic’ drugs and may well instigate a completely new paradigm of supply chain practices throughout the pharmaceutical industry.”
She then posed the question: “Are you ready for the concept of continuous drug production?” Her own answer was clear: “If not, get ready!”
Despite agency support and a growing body of evidence in favour of CM, many in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector remained cautious. Concerns persisted about the perceived complexity, cost of adoption, and regulatory readiness.
Then COVID-19 altered the conversation. Acting as a catalyst of change, the pandemic gave drug producers worldwide a deeper understanding of the need to react quickly, manufacture safe, efficacious, and high-quality therapies in the shortest possible timeframes, and meet the unmet needs of vulnerable patients.
Time-to-market became paramount. The focus shifted — it was no longer an issue of whether CM could be implemented. It had to be. Irrespective of the final product — from over-the-counter medicines and generics to novel formulations — the time for continuous manufacturing is now.
A new step forward
In recent years, GEA has collaborated with partner Hovione on important technology developments aimed at further simplifying and expanding the use of continuous tableting (CT). SimpleCT and CDC Flex are the latest to come from this collaboration.
SimpleCT is an initiative focused on making CM easier to adopt and operate. By combining GEA’s engineering expertise with Hovione’s manufacturing experience, SimpleCT is centered on three principles:
- flexibility — technology adaptable to different products and scales
- speed — faster development, deployment, and changeover
- simplicity — automation and smart interfaces that make operation and maintenance easier.
As a complement to this significant development, the patent-pending ConsiGma® CDC Flex has also been announced. Here, GEA is once again leading the field in continuous tableting innovation and proudly introduces the next generation of continuous DC.
The CDC Flex is an agile, high-performance system designed to transform how the industry approaches solid dosage manufacturing. Key capabilities include
- dual-mode operation — continuous and batch modes on the same platform
- able to handle R&D batches of just 500 g
- production-scale throughput range of 1–200 kg/h
- standalone tablet press function by bypassing feeding and blending
- blender configuration matched to throughput (low or mid)
- ability to choose between single- or two-stage blending (depending on the application)
- ICH Q13-aligned control strategy when integrated into upstream lines.
The CDC Flex is not only versatile, it also directly addresses the practical needs of manufacturers with faster product changeovers, reduced cleaning times, and shorter delivery lead times. By combining innovation with usability, CDC Flex sets a new benchmark for efficiency, adaptability, and accessibility in continuous manufacturing.
As Filipe Gaspar, Vice President of Technology Intensification at Hovione, explains: “We believe that continuous tableting can offer significant benefits to our customers, not only by expediting time-to-market and reducing development and manufacturing costs but also by improving product quality and sustainability."
Through our collaboration with GEA, we aim to revolutionise the continuous production of oral solid dosage forms, making the technology more accessible and efficient for pharma customers.”
Building on proven foundations
From the outset, GEA’s motivation has been clear: help the pharmaceutical industry to bring medicines to patients faster, more efficiently, and more planet-friendly.
Sustainability is a high priority for GEA. CM inherently supports this by reducing API losses, lowering energy and water use, and minimising waste — all while maintaining consistent product quality.
These benefits align with GEA’s wider corporate sustainability goals by ensuring that innovation also delivers measurable environmental impact.
With SimpleCT and CDC Flex, GEA is once again redefining what is possible in continuous tableting — offering platforms that are more adaptable, more efficient, and easier to integrate than ever before.
GEA’s leadership in CM is not just about being the first; it’s about continuing to lead by listening to the market, anticipating industry needs, and delivering innovations that matter.
For the pharmaceutical industry, the message is clear: continuous tableting has never been more accessible, more flexible, or more ready for the future.
CDC Flex at a glance
ConsiGma® CDC Flex (patent pending): GEA’s latest breakthrough in continuous direct compression.
- Dual-mode operation: continuous and batch on one platform
- Able to handle R&D batches of just 500 g
- Throughput range: 1–200 kg/h
- Standalone press function: bypass feeding and blending when needed
- Custom blender configurations: low- or mid-throughput, single or two-stage blending
- ICH Q13-aligned control strategy: compatible with upstream CT lines
Why it matters: CDC Flex combines flexibility with practicality. Faster changeovers, shorter cleaning times, and reduced delivery lead times make it one of the most versatile and user-friendly CM systems available — setting a new benchmark for continuous tableting.
SimpleCT in brief
Simplifying the future of continuous tableting: a GEA–Hovione initiative to make CM more accessible and easier to adopt.
- Flexibility: adaptable technology for different products and scales
- Speed: faster development, deployment, and changeovers
- Simplicity: smart interfaces and automation for easier operation and maintenance
Why it matters: SimpleCT lowers the barriers to adoption by focusing on user-friendliness and pragmatic deployment. It helps companies to accelerate the implementation of CM without unnecessary complexity — supporting wider industry uptake of continuous tableting.
