The Product development teams at Dextra and NZP have extensive experience in the commercial development environment. The teams, which total over 35 scientists and technicians (including 16 PhDs) draw on international experience to create safe, efficient and economic processes and products. Staff transfers are undertaken to ensure the technology transfer between sites is seamless and efficient.
The Dextra and NZP product development scientists have strong working relationships with scientists at several British and New Zealand universities and research institutes. This enables the Company to access state-of-the-art chemistry, instrumentation and technology held at these institutions that complements the Company's own resources.
Process Optimisation
- Self-funded discovery research is not undertaken at the Company
- Dextra offers process optimisation as a part of its services
With customer agreement the Dextra team will optimise scale-up processes to enable the minimisation of operational costs and decrease the environmental impact efficiently at commercial scale.
Work in the development laboratory is focused on two main areas.
1. Manufacture of synthetic pharmaceutical intermediates and APIs
Dextra's skills in synthetic organic chemical processes have an emphasis on, but are not restricted to, carbohydrate and bile acid chemistry. Most products developed at Dextra and NZP are confidential to clients and will not be listed on the Company's product sales list. Contact us for more information.
2. Natural products
Expertise in the extraction and purification of natural biochemicals has led to polysaccharide products from seaweeds (www.marinova.com.au) and a range of anthocyanin and antioxidant products extracted from berry fruit (www.justtheberries.com). For further information on the development of natural extracts including botanical drugs and dietary supplements, please visit the web site www.nzp.co.nz or email market@nzp.co.nz for more information.
Staff work closely with customers to ensure the products and processes that are developed, fully meet customer needs and expectations.
Pilot Plant
Following laboratory development, processes are scaled up inDextra's two "kilo labs" which operate to 50 L (≈13 US gallon) capacity. Once the process is optimised at the 50 L scale, the process can be transferred to one of NZP's two pilot plants [total working area of 188 m2 (≈2000 sq. ft)] up to the 600 L (≈160 US gallon) scale. Pilot Plant One is a dedicated intrinsically safe working area containing 600 L stainless steel and 150 L (≈40 gallon) glass-lined vessels and associated equipment. Pilot Plant Two specialises in water based processes especially in the area of high quality extracts from biomass.
The Pilot Plant team is closely integrated to both the laboratory and the production facility, so scaling up from one area and department to the next is seamless.
Summary
Dextra will work with and for the customer on:
- Process development
- Process optimisation (cost, efficiency and environment)
- Impurity profiles
- Analytical method development and specifications
- Documentation defining the processes and analyses suitable for GMP audits
- Reporting to the customer as required in an open, comprehensive and timely manner.
The Company welcomes inquiries for collaboration from both business and research organisations from around the world to develop and manufacture new products.