Pilot Production Unit Moves into Operation

French independent pharmaceutical group Provepharm Life Solutions, which revitalises known molecules, has inaugurated its production unit, located in Marseille. The company invested a total of €9 million ($9.90M) in the building and qualification of the site. 

 The 500m2 pilot plant within a 3,000m2 site will enable to company to produce its own active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in an environment meeting stringent international GMP requirements. Inspection by health authorities, the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), France, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA, is planned.

The investment comes with the recruitment of new highly qualified staff who will be working a two 7-hour shift system, as early as 2020 to meet customer demand.

“Working on a production site at the cutting edge of technology is a great opportunity for our teams. We are aware that this production unit is crucial to sustaining a culture of excellence, whilst guaranteeing the highest quality standards,” said Pierre-Yves Le Roy, Industrial Director, Provepharm Life Solutions.

 “This investment is in line with the group’s strategic goal, which is to fully control our production chain and thus offer sustainable and innovative solutions to our customers and ultimately to patients. It is not acceptable that some patients are not treated due to a shortage of drugs, so it is our pharmaceutical responsibility, in connection with our core values, to avoid such a situation. That’s why it is essential for us to have a controlled and secure supply chain,” said Michel Féraud, chairman and CEO, Provepharm Life Solutions.

Also based in Philadelphia and employing more than 60 staff, company turnover was €38.5M ($42.36M) in 2018 (+24% over the previous year) and it raised €42.5M ($46.76M) in early 2019, one of the most significant fund raising in the PACA region. Michel Feraud also received the 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, on September 24th in Nice, for the southeast region of France.