KTP project between Queen's and Terumo BCT is awarded an ‘Outstanding' grade from Innovate UK
The collaborative partnership between Queen's School of Pharmacy and Terumo BCT received the top 'Outstanding' rating from Innovate UK for the development of next-generation pharmaceutical packaging.
Terumo Blood Cell Technologies is a leader in healthcare products for blood management, blood safety, therapeutic apheresis, cell therapy and cell collections. The Terumo BCT site in Larne, Northern Ireland specialises in the manufacture of terminally sterilized intravenous (IV) solutions for a wide variety of medical applications.
Terumo BCT collaborated with Queen's University Belfast, under the guidance of KTN Advisor Stephen McComb, to develop an innovative drug product container to maintain or extend the shelf life of IV pharmaceutical products and remove the need for secondary unrecyclable packaging, such as foil overwrap.
Dr Lucy Finlay joined the company in 2021 as a KTP Associate to lead the project. Together with academic supervisors Professor David Jones and Professor Gavin Andrews of the School of Pharmacy, and company supervisors Fabrice Wallace and Brian Cassidy, Lucy successfully identified solutions to enable the development of a novel polymer film to substantially reduce moisture transmission, or evaporation and remove the need for foil overwraps.
This project has been a major success for Terumo and it is expected, that once fully commercialised, this first of its kind polymer film will drive new business opportunities for the company.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships provide UK businesses with unique access to cutting-edge research and academic expertise to help solve innovation challenges. Through the KTP programme, Terumo BCT was able to translate an innovative idea into a reality by harnessing Queens' world-class expertise in pharmaceutical material science.
Brian Cassidy, Senior Engineering Manager at Terumo said, “The benefits of this KTP to Terumo BCT have been substantial. Having the University as a partner has been very useful in moving this new product development forward. We had an innovative idea but were missing the knowledge and expertise in the new material to grow this idea into a commercial product. Through partnership with Queen's, new knowledge has been embedded in the business that is transferrable to all Terumo BCT solutions in Larne and can also be used by the global teams in Colorado, Vietnam and Costa Rica when reviewing their container configurations for their solution portfolios."
In addition to the business impact of the KTP, the project has given KTP Associate, Dr Lucy Finlay invaluable industry experience.
Lucy said, "I believe the KTP experience has accelerated my career development and progression through the challenges of working with both industry and academia. I also had the opportunity to work on additional projects which together with the KTP, helped me learn how to work effectively with other departments such as R&D, quality, supply chain, production, sales, and finance departments".
The incredible success of this 'Outstanding' project demonstrates the true potential of KTP to bring lasting change to a business. It is evident that the knowledge gained during the project will profoundly influence the future of IV drug containers, not only for Terumo BCT but also for the entire industry.
KTPs are funded by UKRI through Innovate UK with the support of co-funders, including the Scottish Funding Council, Welsh Government, Invest Northern Ireland, Defra and BEIS. Innovate UK manages the KTP programme and facilitates its delivery through a range of partners including the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), Knowledge Bases and Businesses. Each partner plays a specific role in the support and delivery of the programme.
If you have an innovative idea for your business but do not have the in-house expertise, get in touch with us to discuss whether a KTP could help take it forward at ktp@qub.ac.uk
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