Adamed Pharma is starting investments in the development of the pulmonology area, the first stage of which is the launch of a laboratory for the development of inhaled drugs with dedicated inhalers. This is a completely new field in the area of R&D of Adamed Pharma, which, in accordance with its mission, responds to the challenges of modern medicine, which are currently progressive respiratory diseases. By 2030, the company plans to allocate a total of almost PLN 500 million for the development and construction of infrastructure for inhaled drugs.
On November 22, 2024, a grand opening ceremony was held in Pabianice for new laboratories for the development of inhaled drugs and a new microbiology laboratory, the capacity of which will increase fourfold.
Thanks to the latest investments, Adamed Pharma will start research in a new field of development of inhaled products with dedicated inhalers. It also increases the area of microbiological research. With these investments, Adamed wants to successfully compete and build its brand in the world, increasing the company's stability and ensuring drug safety in Poland.
"Investments in development and innovation are one of the main pillars of Adamed Pharma's strategy, which has already allocated over PLN 2.2 billion for this purpose since 2001. In accordance with our mission: "We respond to the key challenges of modern medicine", which are chronic diseases, including chronic respiratory diseases – about 4 million people die from them annually and it is the third main cause of death in the world. As a company, we have decided to enter new technologies and work intensively on the development of inhaled products and dedicated inhalers.
We have also expanded the existing area of microbiological research, the efficiency of which will increase 4 times.
This is another step forward for us – both in the context of the development of new technologies and the quantitative increase in the product offer of our drugs. In this way, we respond to the growing needs of patients and the healthcare system.
This is a difficult investment decision, due to the geopolitical situation of the country, the constantly growing costs of labour, raw materials, energy, as well as the burden of costs related to new legislation. However, if we want to develop, we must invest in new technologies to be able to successfully compete in other markets while improving the country's foreign trade balance. As a responsible company with 100% Polish capital, we care about Poland's drug security, which is of particular importance in the current geopolitical situation. However, we are taking a huge risk – we are counting on public support" said Małgorzata Adamkiewicz, MD, PhD, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board and Co-owner of Adamed Pharma.
The official opening of the new laboratories took place on 22 November this year, at the Production and Logistics Centre in Pabianice. The ceremony was accompanied by a presentation of the strategic assumptions and long-term directions of Adamed Pharma's development in the area of pulmonology, a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony and a visit to new laboratories.
The area of inhaled drug development – a response to the health problems of modern society
One of the biggest challenges for the healthcare system is the aging population and the growing number of respiratory diseases. More than a billion people are already affected by these diseases. This problem is growing, and the coronavirus pandemic has shown how severe the consequences of such diseases are.
In response to these challenges, Adamed Pharma decided to invest in a new research and development path. The new spaces with an area of approximately 550 m2 and a value of approximately PLN 60 million will enable the company's scientists to conduct activities in the field of formulation, analytics and development of inhalers. At the moment, the project assumes the internal development of research and development projects in the field of inhaled drugs in order to expand in further stages to invest in internal production capacities that will be used for the production and sale of this type of products (from own development and manufacturing). By 2030, the company plans to allocate a total of almost PLN 500 million for the development and construction of infrastructure for inhaled drugs. These are long-term investments, as the first products from this development have a chance to enter the market in 2031.
"In the laboratory for the development of inhaled drugs, work will be carried out on two types of products – single-dose DPI inhalation products and multi-dose MDPI inhalation products. We have nominated products with the greatest market and clinical potential in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)" says Anna Terlecka, Research and Development Director, Member of the Management Board of Adamed Pharma.
"The process of development and production of inhaled products is extremely complicated and long-lasting – it requires strict adherence to regulatory standards and thorough testing of every change in the formulation, particle size or design of the device used to apply the drug. Clinical trials must show that the medicine delivered by the inhaler is safe and effective. Therefore, research on the bioavailability and efficiency of drug delivery to the lungs is necessary. Undertaking the development of this type of drugs is a very big challenge – that is why we have made every effort to ensure that our new laboratory enables us to work at the highest possible level – adds Anna Terlecka.
It is worth noting that the activities carried out in the laboratory of inhaled drug development are associated with working with toxic substances of class OEB 4-5. That is why the new research spaces have been created to ensure the highest standards of employee safety. They use advanced protection systems, including technologies allowing for the safe handling of highly toxic substances, adequate ventilation, access control and specialized personal protective equipment.
Microbiological testing
Along with the growing demand for new products, Adamed Pharma has also expanded its microbiology laboratory. This investment, worth approx. PLN 20 million, which covers more than twice as much space as currently occupied, thanks to which the signage possibilities will increase 4 times.
The microbiology laboratory has pharmaceutical cleanliness zones: clean, gray and black, with laminar flow chambers in the clean zone. All rooms are designed according to the principle of one-way flow of materials and personnel, which ensures high standards of hygiene and safety. In addition, the laboratory is equipped with a digitized process management system.
"Adamed Pharma's microbiological laboratory tests the microbiological purity of various drug forms, starting materials and the production environment. It develops and validates methods for testing microbiological purity, preparing full documentation for registration processes. The new microbiology laboratory significantly increases our testing capabilities and is a response to the company's needs related to the growing number of microbiological purity tests. It is the first step towards expanding our production capacity and will allow us to respond more effectively to the needs of patients" says Bartłomiej Rodawski, PhD, Chief Operating Officer, Member of the Management Board of Adamed Pharma.