Corning Incorporated  announced the launch of its Advanced Flow Pharmaceutical Technology (AFPT) services business to help contract development manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) and pharmaceutical companies create key starting materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients. The services will provide faster methods for identifying effective compounds during early-stage research - helping shorten drug development timelines.

AFPT will draw on Corning’s two decades of experience in flow chemistry from its Advanced-Flow™ Reactors (AFR) business. Compared to traditional batch processing, flow chemistry allows for the rapid optimization and efficient screening of chemical reactions, and for the faster synthesis of chemical compounds using inherently safer technology. AFR’s portfolio of flow products has been adopted by numerous pharmaceutical, fine chemical, and new materials companies.

“Identifying potential medicines quickly is essential to remaining competitive,” said Yi Jiang, division vice president, Emerging Innovations Group, president and general manager, Advanced Flow Pharmaceutical Technologies, Corning Incorporated. “AFPT services will bring the significant advantages of Corning’s AFR technology to CDMOs and pharmaceutical companies around the world.”

During the initial stages of drug development, pharmaceutical companies face the extensive and time-consuming process of identifying and synthesizing compounds that could be viable drug candidates. AFPT services will help speed up this process. Using its dedicated, on-site lab equipped with Corning’s AFR technology, AFPT will provide the data, analyses, and consultation critical to determining possible drug candidates at these early stages. 

“The speed at which AFPT can provide data to customers is a critical part of optimizing the synthesis of new compounds. Our new services will help enable the efficient, reliable, and affordable production of pharmaceuticals and the wider adoption of AFR technology from the lab to full-scale production,” said Alessandra Vizza, director, global business development, Advanced Flow Pharmaceutical Technologies. 

AFPT will be located in Suzhou Wuzhong’s Biomedical Industrial Park in China. Services will be available globally starting in the second half of 2023.

Corning will feature AFPT’s services and AFR technology at booth #1213 at the 2023 CPHI North America show in Philadelphia, taking place from April 25 to 27.