The contract development and manufacturing organization Vetter has successfully completed the first 100 clinical batches of liquid and lyophilized vials at its Austrian site in Rankweil. Since commissioning in 2021, Vetter Development Services Austria has been supporting the production and quality control of drug candidates for clinical trials.

“Since opening our state-of-the-art clinical production site in Austria three years ago, we have witnessed a rapid rise in customer demand, to which we’ve responded by completing 100 clinical batches, with more on the horizon,” shared Dr. Claus Feussner, Senior Vice President of Vetter Development Service. “The facility is the European counterpart to our clinical manufacturing site near Chicago, Illinois, U.S., and we are proud to see both sites outperforming our expectations. It is a tribute, not only to the quality of the drug product candidates we manufacture with our customers, but the reliability we provide to them and their patients.”

Vetter continues to invest in Rankweil

In order to meet the growing demands of the market, Vetter is continuing to invest in the Rankweil site. Among other things, a 14 by 24 meter roof extension is being built, which will add a third floor to the building. This will create more office space with individual workstations, group offices and meeting rooms. The pharmaceutical service provider is also constructing a further technical building on the west side of the site. The two-storey, 3,400 square meter building will house a technical workshop and a waste disposal center.

More process reliability thanks to uninterruptible power supply

The modern uninterruptible power supply, or UPS for short, which the company is installing in the basement, is of particular importance here. This provides the Rankweil site with a self-sufficient power supply. The UPS compensates for power fluctuations and outages that could affect production, thereby increasing the efficiency of the production processes. Completion is planned for mid-2025. “It has been exciting few years for the Rankweil site,” said Dr. Martin Schwab, Vice President and Site Head Austria. “We look forward to witnessing this site continue to develop and grow. Our success is driven by a strong surge in project orders which will continue in the second half of the year. We are committed to further enhancing our clinical production efficiency in Rankweil, both through increased security initiatives, innovative technology, and a higher number of employees working at the site.”