Installation of climatic controlled Glovebox Erasmus MC
Since September 2021, Raimon; Account Manager Scala Scientific, and Marijke; Senior Lab Technician within a Pharmaceutical company in Diepenbeek (Belgium) have been in contact about a custom glove box. Unlike the often standard models, this glove box had to meet requirements we don't encounter on a daily basis. Besides working with (Academic) hospitals, universities and Biotech companies, Scala Scientific also works closely with several pharmaceutical companies in the Netherlands, Germany and, as in this case: Belgium.
Could you explain what exactly you do within your company?
Marijke: "We are a pharmaceutical company specialising in the development of inhalable breathing products for the medical treatment of various indications, including, for example, asthma or COPD. In the office and laboratories, the focus is on product development, formulation development and analytical capabilities. This involves in-vitro testing to identify product properties and estimate which fraction is delivered into the lungs. The team is led by international industry experts (hardware, formulation, analysis, production, commercialisation) and supported by external
(inter-)national service providers.
We are expanding our internal capabilities and competencies to prepare the company to become a manufacturing company in addition to a product development company.
The rise in the number of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia and other respiratory and pulmonary diseases continues to be the key driver of the industry. Chronic respiratory diseases affect the entire respiratory system and other parts of the lungs. Respiratory symptoms are among the leading causes of consultations with doctors and physicians in primary care centres. There is an increasing need for innovative, yet affordable, inhalable drugs.
Therefore, high-quality but cheaper alternative treatment options for already established inhalation products are the first and most advanced goal."
What is your specific task within the company?
Marijke: "Our company's in-house laboratory was started to build competencies and knowledge of the products under development. This is so that we can also manage external service providers. Our custom glove box was developed both to protect ourselves from harmful products, but also to protect products that should not be exposed to oxygen from degradation. We can also generate a dry atmosphere to prevent water absorption in hygroscopic substances. There will be both in-vitro testing, and different formulations generated using the glove box installation."
How did you come across Scala Scientific?
Marijke: "We found Scala Scientific through the internet. They offered standard glove boxes of the Plas-labs brand. The Plas-labs website indicated that they also offer personalised solutions for glove boxes. As there was no standard solution in the market for our application, this was a perfect match for our request. The first meeting with Scala Scientific was very positive. Our needs were clearly listened to with expertise. At the same time, a customised product was developed that met our demand. After overcoming some hurdles, a beautiful product was delivered.
Raimon: "From the first contact in September 2021 to the actual delivery of the final product in March 2022, we indeed had to overcome some major hurdles. Because of Covid, actually all conversations have always been via video connections. The end user from Belgium, we from the Netherlands and the manufacturer Plas-Labs from the United States. The final product would be more than 3 metres wide. All in all, quite a challenge at a time when raw materials are already scarce and transport costs are high. In between, we in the Netherlands also had to deal with a lockdown during the winter period. All this meant that the initial delivery date would unfortunately not be met. To accommodate Marijke and her colleagues, we gave the drying train system worth over €3,000 as a gift.'
When the nearly 3.5-metre glove box finally reached us in the Netherlands, we were not there yet. The size and weight of the device still posed challenges. Not only for transporting it from the Netherlands to Belgium, but certainly also for moving the glove box to the room where it would eventually be used, on the first floor. Few moving companies were enthusiastic about this project, but one was eventually found that was up to the task.
Once the custom Nitrogen Isolator was in place, a day could be scheduled for installation and demonstration.
Marijke: "We would definitely recommend Scala Scientific because the final product is very nice and meets our requirements. Despite the fact that it did take some effort to get the glove box to Belgium. The extraction of the glove box could have been better discussed beforehand, though."
Raimon: "Absolutely agree. This again would have saved time during installation. We hear around us many people say that video calling is actually just as nice as a face-to-face conversation. But this again shows that an on-site visit really does have its advantages. Then this point would have been tackled immediately.
Now issues like this only came to light during installation, and that still causes some delay.
It has been a beautiful and sometimes complicated process, in a time and world where everything was a bit more difficult than usual. But the moment every person involved looked at the final result with satisfaction at the end of the project, the satisfaction was even greater.
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About the client
This case was in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company that specialises in developing inhalable respiratory products for medical treatments. Such as asthma or COPD, for example. Their focus is not only on product development, but also on production.
