June 17th, 2020

Sharp, a global leader in contract packaging and clinical supply services, has invested £1 million in a commercial expansion project at its site in Rhymney, UK.

Since the Rhymney facility opened in late-2019 as a clinical packaging center of excellence, the company has received a number of inquiries for commercial primary and secondary packaging services. 

After making the investment and receiving a commercial license in January of this year, Sharp can now meet the demand for commercial packaging of a number of drug formats, including cold and thermoform blisters, bottles, capsules and medical device kitting.

The capacity expansion included new primary and secondary packaging rooms as well as installation of blistering equipment and automated cartoners. The new integrated lines feature inline conveyor systems and automatic blister feeding to increase capacity and offer faster packaging lead times.

Ian Morgan, General Manager of Sharp, said:

We are delighted to be able to extend our production capabilities to include commercial packaging.  This new investment will allow us offer complementary services to new clients, without compromising our existing clinical trial capabilities.

This expansion will also enable Sharp to broaden its offering in Europe for primary blister packaging activities to potential new clients from the Rhymney facility.

Sharp is planning to introduce new serialization, aggregation and authentication equipment with further investment to support broader service delivery and future growth within the company for new and existing customers.

Commercial blister production at the site will begin in June 2020.

Sharp has invested over $70 million in its global facilities over recent years including:

  • $21m on expanding capacity and capabilities at its Allentown and Conshohocken, PA facilities
  • $11m on its new Clinical Services Centre of Excellence in Wales
  • $11m on enhancing its injectable and cold chain capabilities in the US, Belgium and the Netherlands
  • $23m on its refitted state-of-the-art clinical facility in Bethlehem, PA.
  • $13m on the redevelopment of Sharp Heerenveen, The Netherlands