Laboratory for Process Research – Ten Years of Successful Partnership between University of Zurich and the Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

In 1996, the Laboratory for Process research (Labor für Prozessforschung = LPF) was founded as a collaboration between the University of Zurich and the pharmaceutical industry. This joint venture is based on the concept of providing a professional training platform in industrial process chemistry for Ph.D. graduates and performing highly sophisticated process research and development at the same time. The well-equipped LPF facilities, approved by swissmedic, operate according to the standards of Good manufacturing Practice (GmP). Chemical processes for manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) are developed from bench to production under GMP compliance. A large number of projects were successfully developed in the last decade, for which production was carried out at the LPF and/or after transfer of the whole technology to customers or contract manufacturers worldwide. In the course of these projects, the development of numerous innovative reactions and routes has resulted in several patents.