SCM Pharma CMO unveils US expansion

UK-BASED SCM Pharma is set to open its first US office after appointing a North American based business development manager to boost the company's export revenue.

After securing its first US client this summer, the contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) has recruited the experienced Thomas J. Puskar as Vice President of Business Development in North America to better service US-based customers and promote its specialist sterile fill finish services among US pharmaceutical and biotech firms.

The move coincides with SCM Pharma's debut at the annual American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) exposition in New Orleans (booth 1746) in November.

Tom and a team from the UK will use the global AAPS event as a platform to meet firms finding it difficult to identify manufacturing partners with the capability to sterile fill radio-labelled compounds to cGMP and produce highly potent products such as cytotoxics for both clinical trials supply and the small volume supply of licensed commercial products.

Dianne Sharp, managing director at SCM Pharma, said: "The move to bring Tom on board and increase our presence in the US market is a major step forward in the growth of the business. Being able to attract someone of the Tom's calibre speaks volumes for the work our team has done over the last few years."

With almost 35 years in contract manufacturing in the pharmaceutical, biotech and diagnostic industries both in the US and internationally, Tom brings a wealth of experience, including around 15 years working specifically in business development for contract fill finish companies.

Tom will head-up the CMO's US sales operations from the East Coast. He said: "I became aware of SCM Pharma via its increasing trade media presence relating to contract-wins, new launches and its specialist service offerings.

"Following some research into the business, I became very impressed by its unique culture, track record and plans for the US market. I am delighted have joined such a dynamic CMO and believe my industry experience coupled with the company's ambitions for growth will be a perfect fit."

One the world's largest meeting places for those involved in drug development, AAPS brings together thousands of scientists from around the world with the goal of "Improving Global Health Through Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences," the scientific theme of this year's event.

Dianne said: "AAPS will provide the ideal opportunity to make further inroads into the US market by really pushing our radiopharma and potent services. We are very much looking forward to meeting contacts that require the manufacturing and filling of novel, difficult and dangerous finished drug products."

Alongside its potent manufacturing capabilities, SCM Pharma is licensed to handle C14 compounds, enabling it to aseptically process radio-labelled drug products including intravenous presentations. Its service has helped its customers carry out absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) studies at the pre-clinical or clinical trials stage to help speed-up the drug development cycle and reduce cost.

SCM Pharma also recently introduced Sterility and Bacterial Endotoxin Testing (BET) to its state-of-the-art facility, which is helping supplement its existing analytical, stability and microbiological testing capabilities.

The new testing services complement its established in-house aseptic processing and terminal sterilisation capabilities that allows the company to fill ampoules, vials, syringes and cartridges.

The CMO offers sterile and non-sterile production services to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies across the world. The company has now worked with a third of the top ten global pharmaceutical firms on various product indications across a number of therapeutic areas.