Corning Incorporated and Laurus Labs recently celebrated the installation of Corning^® Advanced-Flow^™ Reactors (AFR) G4 unit at Laurus’ state-of-the-art Visakhapatnam facility. As part of Laurus Labs contract development and manufacturing organization, the G4 will be utilized in a multi-purpose continuous flow plant suitable to produce various pharmaceutical related chemicals.

Corning’s G4 reactor is utilized for large scale production up to 3,500 tons per year with chemical durability for highly acidic compounds as well as high PH compounds such as concentrated sodium hydroxide.

As a leading research-driven pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Laurus Labs aims to improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world through the development of innovative medicines that greatly improve health outcomes for patients with a continuous focus on quality and affordability.

“We are committed to investing in the latest manufacturing technologies that will allow us to meet the growing demands of our global customer base with high-quality APIs,” said Dr. Satyanarayana Chava, founder and chief executive officer, Laurus Labs. “Corning’s AFR technology helps enable increased efficiency and scale which will ultimately enhance our contract development and manufacturing organization offerings.”

The two companies have been working together for nearly a decade – with Laurus utilizing both the G1 and Lab Reactors within their facilities for various nitration, oxidations, substitution, condensation, and low temperature reactions which are used to make key starting materials (KSM) for various active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

“Corning is proud to work with a company like Laurus who not only shares a long-standing commitment to innovation but also impacts millions around the world with their ongoing developments in therapeutics,” said Alessandra Vizza, business director for EMEA, NSA and India, Corning Advanced-Flow Reactor Technologies. “Laurus’ commitment to AFR technology through the installation of the G4 shows great progress in building the capabilities of continuous flow technology and making its positive impact in the pharmaceutical space.”

This collaboration also reflects the emergence of India as one of global leaders in pharmaceutical production. “India is home to rapidly growing pharmaceutical market - and they’ve been at the forefront of adopting continuous flow technology,” Alessandra said.

Corning’s AFR business has more than two decades of experience in continuous flow process development and manufacturing in fine chemical, pharmaceutical, and new materials industries - with more than 800 global equipment installations to date. Compared to traditional batch chemical processing, Corning’s AFR products can drive higher-quality chemical processing and a reduced risk of process hazards using an inherently safer technology. Additional benefits include energy savings, increased efficiency of chemical synthesis, lower production costs, and reduced environmental impact.