Morpeth recently commissioned a new Korsch XM12 Single Layer/Bilayer press, a smaller-scale model that laid the foundation for the site's commitment to the latest tablet press technology in the PreCommercial domain. As late phase and commercial demand grew, the team identified the need for a press capable of handling a wider range of tablet sizes at both clinical and commercial scales. The X3 was selected through the site's longstanding professional relationship with Korsch, one of the pharma industry's most respected brands.

Piramal's Korsch X3 is custom-configured to meet requirements around highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs), setting it apart from conventional tablet presses. With two customized turrets, it supports 25mm tablet manufacturing, expands the range of formulations the site can produce, and delivers greater operational efficiency and increased tablet strength. The X3, unlike presses that require open scooping into the feed hopper, offers contained infeed from tote bins using split butterfly valve transitions docket to sanitary fittings, together with a contained finished product chute that delivers core tablets directly to coating operations.

Most significantly, the Korsch X3 is an investment in higher containment, greater throughput, and a single-operator concept, delivering enhanced efficiency and broader capabilities to clients. To address the risks associated with exposure to high-toxicity drugs, the X3 is equipped with front and dual-side glove ports and a misting system that dampens residual dust after batch completion, safeguarding staff from airborne contaminants during manufacture and changeovers. The site team has received detailed onsite training from Korsch, as well as training modules, to ensure safe, confident handling of the new press.

The Korsch X3 ensures Morpeth is positioned to meet a growing demand for complex, personalized therapies and is fully commissioned, qualified, and in active use.

"By expanding Morpeth's capacity to manufacture tablets containing Band 5 HPAPIs, the Korsch X3 strengthens our ability to serve patients in therapeutic areas where high potency materials are essential, such as hormonals made in a dedicated hormone manufacturing facility," said Peter DeYoung, CEO, Piramal Global Pharma. "This acquisition is the ideal way to celebrate the site's twenty-year anniversary, reinforcing its legacy of helping to improve and extend the lives of patients worldwide."

As Morpeth marks 20 years of pharmaceutical manufacturing excellence, the addition of the Korsch X3 stands as a testament to its continued investment in innovation, safety, and Patient Centricity. More than a celebration of the past two decades' achievements, it signals a commitment to a future where even more patients can benefit from Piramal's advanced capabilities, technical expertise, and proven record of delivering high quality materials.