ChristophPortier

Christoph Portier

Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology
Ottergemsesteenweg 460
B-9000 Gent(Belgium)
Tel. : +32-9-264.81.18
E-mail : Christoph.Portier@UGent.be

Biography

Pharm. Christoph Portier graduated as industrial pharmacist in 2015 from Ghent University where he obtained his master in Drug Development. For his Master’s thesis, he evaluated the synthesis of potential quorum sensing modulators based on hamamelitannin. In 2015, he started his PhD research on innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing of tablets via continuous twin screw granulation.

Summary of Research Project(s)

Although the implementation of continuous production in the pharmaceutical industry is lagging behind compared to other industries (e.g. oil, food), interest has raised over the past years. With the publication of the FDA PAT guidance in 2004, it became clear that regulatory authorities allow the possibility of implementing continuous manufacturing processes.
Continuous manufacturing shows several advantages compared to (conventional) batch manufacturing:
- Upscaling can often be avoided by extending the process time
- Less product at risk
- Possibility of on-line monitoring instead of off-line analysis
- Less space and staff needed, leading to lower cost
- Reduced equipment down-time
This research project focuses on continuous tablet production using twin screw wet granulation as an intermediate process step (ConsiGma-25).
The main goals of this project are:
- To link raw material attributes (i.e., APIs and excipients) with their (twin screw) granulation behavior
- To investigate the impact of process variables on process performance and (end) product quality
- To evaluate the importance of batch-to-batch variability
- To derive a preferred excipient platform for novel APIs
- To evaluate upscaling within the Consigma-25 for early R&D