DANBURY, Conn., April 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ATMI, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATMI), a global technology company and a leader in single-use process solutions, today introduced the first all-single-use fill/finish platform for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical applications that is compliant with current good manufacturing practices (cGMP). The platform is designed for bioprocess applications from clinical batch to industrial scale, with fills ranging from 0.2 milliliters to 100 Liters. This unique solution is offered by ATMI LifeSciences through an exclusive agreement with France-based Disposable-Lab, S.A.S., a clinical filling services and contract manufacturing organization (CMO). ATMI and Disposable-Lab will jointly commercialize the technology. The fill/finish platform will be on display at the upcoming INTERPHEX trade show in New York, NY, April 23rd – 25th at booth #3319.
The disposable platform is modeled after traditional manufacturing fill/finish processes, but on a much smaller scale. All of the process equipment used in conjunction with the fill/finish platform is disposable, including the connectors, vials, baskets and caps, to form a completely disposable process equipment platform. As such, the platform minimizes maintenance costs and provides a smaller footprint versus traditional systems. The easier to use format also delivers time savings during setup and operation.
"This is the only platform of its kind on the market, and it is an excellent fit for our single-use product portfolio," noted Senior Vice President and General Manager of ATMI LifeSciences Mario Philips. "As innovators ourselves, we saw a great deal of potential in Disposable-Lab's technology. Customers will benefit from having access to the disposable fill/finish platform, as well as from our collaboration. When combined with the mixing system, bioreactor and vessel offers we already have in place, this new addition allows us to provide customers with a truly comprehensive range of single-use technology solutions."
Operation of the platform involves decontaminating the non-disposable box in/flushing isolator with hydrogen peroxide. The vial baskets are then manually placed in the preparation isolator before the vials are filled using disposable dispensing needles in the transfer area. Weighing and capping operations are performed in a sterile finishing isolator, where the vials are closed in one step prior to weighing.
"Working with ATMI has allowed us to optimize our complete single-use platform for fill/finish operations and bring it to market with a secure supply chain," offered Disposable-Lab President Jean-Pascal Zambaux. "Additionally, their experience has also allowed us to instill industry-leading regulatory compliance into the model. We look forward to continuing to work together to commercialize and build upon this technology for the industry."
ATMI initially engaged with Disposable-Lab in 2008 as a minority investor and later acquired the full rights to their fill/finish platform. The platform is available in two formats. Customers can opt for installation via the technology transfer format, or they may outsource their clinical batches using the Disposable-Lab CMO service capability.
To learn more about this technology, please visit www.disposable-lab.com. For information on other ATMI products and services at INTERPHEX, please visit www.atmi.com/Events/interphex-2013.aspx.
About ATMI
ATMI, Inc. provides specialty semiconductor materials, and safe, high-purity materials handling and delivery solutions designed to increase process efficiencies for the global semiconductor, flat panel, and life sciences industries. For more information, please visit www.atmi.com.
ATMI, the ATMI logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Advanced Technology Materials, Inc., in the United States, other countries, or both.
About Disposable-Lab
Disposable-Lab SAS is a pharmaceutical company which develops innovative technologies based on a disposable isolator and disposable process equipment. Disposable-Lab SAS is offering the life sciences industry a new way to manufacture sterile drugs, enabling dramatic reductions in time and costs. Disposable-Lab is located in Bordeaux Montesquieu (France) where it also serves as a contract manufacturing organization (CMO). It is the first pharmaceutical facility featuring only disposable equipment, including a single-use isolator for sterile manufacturing of liquid and freeze-dried products, that is scalable up to 200L.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements contained herein that relate to ATMI's future performance, including, without limitation, statements with respect to ATMI's anticipated results of operations or level of business for 2013 or any other future period, are forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current expectations only and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, changes in semiconductor and life sciences industry growth (including, without limitation, wafer starts) or ATMI's markets; competition, problems, or delays developing, commercializing, and delivering new products; customer-driven pricing pressure; potential loss of key customers; problems or delays in integrating acquired operations and businesses; uncertainty in the credit and financial markets; ability to protect ATMI's proprietary technology; and other factors described in ATMI's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. ATMI undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.