Merck and AMCM / EOS Cooperate in 3D Printing of Tablets

Darmstadt, Germany, February 27, 2020 – Merck, a leading science and technology company and AMCM, Starnberg, Germany, today announced a cooperation agreement on the 3D printing of tablets. AMCM offers customized additive manufacturing solutions and is a sister company of 3D printing worldmarket leader EOS. The cooperation targets GMP-conform (Good Manufacturing Practice) tablet formulation development and production for clinical trials in a first step and later also commercial manufacturing services.

“Our partnership with AMCM / EOS has the potential to revolutionize the way tablets are produced. It will be a massive move towards digitalization of the industry,” said Isabel de Paoli, Chief Strategy Officer at Merck. “Our goal is to develop the industrial application of this technology, which we will make available for clinical trials first, and then move to full digital solutions at commercial scale.”

Marie Langer, CEO of EOS, added, “We are excited to support Merck on its innovation journey. This cooperation combines Merck’s formulation competences in Healthcare as well as its excipient expertise in Life Science with our long-standing additive manufacturing know-how. Together, we will help make drug development more flexible and faster.”

Through this partnership, a novel, simplified process in clinical development of drugs can be enabled by using powder bed fusion methods, whereby a laser melts and fuses powder together layer by layer. In addition, 3D printing allows for API (active pharmaceutical development) formulation to be scalable while avoiding costly reformulations throughout the entire pharmaceutical development and commercial production processes. As a result tablet manufacturing can become faster and cheaper.

Beyond the aforementioned objectives, the vision is to allow flexible and sustainable local tablet production according to specific market requirements as well as adaptation to patient needs.

Next-generation tablet manufacturing through 3D printing is a project in the Innovation Center at Merck headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. Here, project teams work on developing and upscaling ideas to create new businesses between and beyond the three Merck business sectors of Healthcare, Life Science and Performance Materials.

EOS

EOS is the world's leading technology supplier in the field of industrial 3D printing of metals and polymers. Formed in 1989, the independent company is pioneer and innovator for comprehensive solutions in additive manufacturing. Its product portfolio of EOS systems, materials, and process parameters gives customers crucial competitive advantages in terms of product quality and the long-term economic sustainability of their manufacturing processes. Furthermore customers benefit from deep technical expertise in global service, applications engineering and consultancy.

AMCM

AMCM (Additive Manufacturing Customized Machines) offers customized AM solutions and modified and enhanced EOS systems tailored to customer requirements – from new lasers to adapted heating concepts and modified build volumes.  AMCM also builds completely new systems designed specifically to meet customer requirements.

As sister companies, EOS and AMCM are both part of the broader EOS GROUP.

 Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 56,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2018, Merck generated sales of € 14.8 billion in 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Performance Materials.

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