Catalent Plans Expansion in Japan
Catalent Pharma Solutions plans to open a dedicated laboratory at its Kakegawa, Japan, site to provide proof-of-concept support and feasibility studies for Catalent's proprietary Zydis Orally Dispersible Tablet (ODT) technology and will also expand manufacturing capacity for its OptiGel Micro softgel technology.
Zydis ODT is a freeze-dried oral dosage form that disperses in the mouth, requiring no water. In some cases this can enhance the performance of a drug and can also contribute towards better patient compliance. The new Zydis laboratories, which will be officially opened as part of the company’s 40th anniversary celebrations in September, is being constructed within the existing 107,000-square foot Kakegawa facility, which is Catalent's softgel manufacturing base in Japan.
Catalent's OptiGel Micro softgel technology uses a manufacturing process that, instead of forming softgels through a rotary die process, uses a droplet, streamline flow that results in spherical form capsules. These capsules can be sized from 1 mm to 7mm, which allows for smaller capsules to be produced when compared to the traditional rotary die process.
In other news, Catalent has appointed Tadahiro Matsumura as Country Leader, Japan. Based in Catalent's Tokyo office, Matsumura will have responsibility for driving growth through business development activities in Japan and the surrounding region. He brings more than 30 years of experience building and leading successful organizations, acquired through a variety of leadership positions in sales, marketing, product development, and manufacturing. He started his career in 1983 at Procter & Gamble Healthcare as a product development supervisor and also held marketing positions of increasing responsibility in the Japan business units of Wella. He joined Johnson & Johnson in 1994, where most recently he served as vice president of sales for vision care.
​Source: Catalent
