Gericke has launched a third-generation continuous manufacturing platform designed to support pharmaceutical production from clinical development through commercial manufacturing.

The Gericke Formulation Skid GFS Gen3 is designed around a modular architecture intended to allow manufacturers to adapt production requirements without replacing the underlying platform.

Continuous manufacturing across development stages

Gericke said GFS Gen3 is designed to provide a consistent manufacturing approach as pharmaceutical products progress from early development into commercial production.

The platform is aimed at manufacturers using continuous processing for solid oral dose (OSD) production and is designed to accommodate changing production volumes, containment requirements and process needs.

Gericke said the approach is intended to reduce the need for manufacturers to move between different equipment configurations as a product progresses through development.

The platform combines formulation and continuous manufacturing capabilities with process control and containment features, with different configurations available according to production requirements.

Modular design supports changing requirements

GFS Gen3 uses a modular configuration that can be adapted for different manufacturing applications.

The system is designed to support changes in operational requirements while maintaining the same underlying process architecture. Gericke said this could allow manufacturers to use the platform during development and subsequently adapt it for longer-term production.

The company has also incorporated containment options ranging from standard dust control to higher-containment configurations.

These options are intended to address different requirements for operator protection and product containment as manufacturing processes develop.

Bernhard Meir, head of continuous manufacturing of OSD at Gericke, said: “At its core, GFS Gen3 reflects a different way of thinking about continuous manufacturing. We designed the platform so that containment, precision, and regulatory readiness reinforce each other, giving teams confidence as they progress, without unnecessary disruption.”

Platform targets pharmaceutical production

Continuous manufacturing can allow pharmaceutical processes to operate continuously rather than relying on discrete production batches, potentially changing how drug products are developed and manufactured.

However, manufacturers need systems that can accommodate development, scale and containment requirements while maintaining consistent process control.

Gericke said GFS Gen3 has been developed to address these requirements through a platform approach rather than a fixed equipment configuration.

The company said the system can be configured around different priorities, including flexibility during development and production efficiency for established manufacturing processes.

Meir added: “We deliberately avoided designing a rigid system. GFS Gen3 supports controlled evolution over time, recognizing that pharmaceutical manufacturing must be able to move forward without starting over.”

The launch comes as pharmaceutical manufacturers continue to explore continuous processing as an alternative to conventional batch manufacturing, particularly where process control, production efficiency and flexibility are priorities.

Photo: © Gericke AG