This summer, the French fine chemicals company Isochem will complete the relocation of its research and development facilities and a Euro 2m investment in cGMP production capabilities at its Vert-le-Petit plant in France.
Since a devastating fire at the neighbouring AZF fertiliser plant in Toulouse in 2001 and the subsequent economic downturn that severely affected the French chemical industry, Isochem has reorganised and changed its strategy.
The business is now focused on two sectors: pharmaceuticals and plant protection & speciality intermediates. The company now has six sites located at Gennevilliers, Pithiviers, Vert-le-Petit and Toulouse in France, and at Lockport in the US and Kazincbacika in Hungary.
On the pharma side, Isochem is no longer looking at big volume intermediates. Instead it will offer custom manufacturing facilities for the development of quicker and more flexible technologies for pharma companies. It has the capability to accompany its customers in pharmaceuticals development from the first laboratory synthesis, through pilot scale level production to the development of industrial processes under cGMP conditions.
Its facilities include laboratories, kilolab, pilot plants and dedicated pharma production sites at Gennevilliers and Pithiviers.
The second aspect of the company's pharma business will be in providing generic APIs, pharmaceutical intermediates, added value materials such as protected amino acids, petides and phosgene derivatives.
Thierry Malfroot, director general of Isochem, told Manufacturing Chemist that the past few years have been a difficult time for the company, which has had to downsize considerably, but he is now optimistic about the future with the new business focus and new investment expected to reap benefits.