Keywords: education, employment

Utrecht Science Park has initiated the development of an education, training and research program in which students optimize analysis tests for a pharmaceutical company in an open access laboratory to dramatically increase the speed of product development and to prepare students for employment with company or similar companies.

The pharmaceutical company manufactures drug products outside Europe and aims to introduce its products to the European market. For that purpose they have recently established a quality laboratory in Utrecht. To fulfill regulatory requirements, every batch of drug products needs to be tested in their certified laboratory, using standard and approved technology. Due to the strict regulatory guidelines and the complexity of their drug formulations, consisting of several active ingredients, every batch requires at least 600 analysis tests which take considerable time. This dramatically delays the release of products prior to distribution and sales which results in sales opportunity lost. Through a new education, training and research program on advanced pharmaceutical analysis, students are working under guidance of scientists from university and from the company on optimizing the tests using innovative technology. Equipment located at the university is used to develop the new tests, and similar equipment located at the certified laboratory of the company is used to validate and execute the tests. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction of analysis time. Moreover, students are trained based on real challenges and are well prepared for a employment agreement with the pharmaceutical company.

The innovative technology used in this project is not commonly used in quality analysis of pharmaceutical products. The pharmaceutical company did not have any experience and expertise with this technology and is depending on the university to bring in the expertise and equipment. Due to a much higher resolution in separating compounds from mixtures, a significant reduction in analysis time is achieved. Students are utilized to develop new analysis tests as part of their education program. In this way they get access to real problems and are well prepared for a job in the pharmaceutical industry.

The solution resulted in significant reduction of analysis time (80%) of complex drug formulations, resulting in a significant reduction of analysis cost and sales opportunity lost. Currently, discussions are initiated with several other companies to also make use of this program to help them reduce analysis time of their complex pharmaceutical formulations.

The participating pharmaceutical company is benefiting from this solution because it can must faster introduce their drug products on the market with lower cost. Moreover, they can hire personnel that is very well prepared to work in their research facility. The university is benefiting because it can educate and train students based on practical challenges and therefore have a higher chance of getting a job that matches with their education level. Lastly, the sciences park benefits because it is seen as a very attractive location for a company to establish its research facility, increasing the economy of the region.

Utrecht Science Park is responsible for the initiation phase and for establishing and maintaining the collaboration the university is responsible for executing the education program, and the pharmaceutical company is responsible for providing the research challenges and for implementing the newly developed tests.