Castres - 24 June 2009
Pierre Fabre Laboratories have just received the 2009 Pierre Potier Prize for "Innovation in Chemistry in favour of Sustainable development", for the development of a new patented chemical process using supercritical fluids for the fabrication of drugs, Formulplex®.
This new process presents a twofold advantage for the patient and for the environment as it enables :
- a significant increase in the bio-availability of the active ingredients therefore decreasing the dose administered to the patient,
- the formulation of the drug without organic solvent,
- a reduction in energy consumption,
- a reduction in pollution from the discharge of active ingredients into the environment linked to taking medication.
« This prestigious prize is excellent news. It is tangible proof of the quality of our research and our investment in state-of-the-art technology at international level » said Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Pierre Fabre SA.
This award was presented at an official ceremony at the French Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment, on 24 June 2009 by Mr Christian ESTROSI, delegate minister for Industry.
Formulplex®, the invention by Pierre Fabre Laboratories, is a process that increases the solubility of pharmaceutical active ingredients. This technology, based on the complexation of the active ingredient uses Supercritical CO2 as the reactive medium, which significantly decreases energy expenditure in comparison with traditional processes.
In most cases, the complexes obtained using Formulplex® have a much higher solubility and bio-availability than classic complexes. The complexation of pharmaceutical active ingredients improves their solubility and therefore their availability (absorption) to our body, thus enabling the same therapeutic effect to be reached with a lower dose of pharmaceutical active ingredient.
The improvement in bio-availability thus obtained ultimately induces a decrease in active ingredient waste, an important point in the respect for the environment.
This process has thus obtained the Silver Trophy for Innovation at the CPhI Worldwide (Convention of Pharmaceutical Ingredients) held in Frankfurt in September 2008. The CPhI Worldwide is the biggest international trade show for the pharmaceutical industry and fine chemistry.
Created in 2006 in partnership with the French Federation for Chemistry, the aim of the Pierre Potier prize is to bring to light the initiatives of the chemical industry for sustainable development and to promote the development of eco-responsible procedures within the sector of activity. The Pierre Potier prize was named in memory of the major contributions of the chemist-biologist of the same name for the discovery of new drugs from plants. Pierre Potier, who died in 2006, indeed initiated two major discoveries in the treatment of cancer: Taxotere and Navelbine, two molecules that are now used worldwide.
The Pierre Fabre group, second independent French pharmaceutical laboratory, made a turnover of 1.75 billion € in 2008. The group employs 10 000 people of which 1400 in research. The areas of activity are ethical drugs, health products and dermocosmetic products.
To find out more about Pierre Fabre Laboratories : www.pierre-fabre.com
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