Sometimes in life we or our loved ones find ourselves in need of medicine. But rarely do we think about how the medicine got there safely, or what it took to prepare it without risking contamination. We had a chat with Julien Mansuy from one of Getinge’s Life Science hubs to find out what it takes.
For most of us, medicine is something we get in contact with when we, or one of our loved ones, get critically ill. For the team in Getinge’s factory in the French city Vendôme – where Life Science is the main business – it is a central part of the daily work.
“We all have that family member, friend or colleague who has been affected by terrible diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer or very dangerous types of diabetes. You can support them and be there for them, but in the end you feel powerless. In my role at Getinge however, I actually feel that I am contributing to something bigger,” says Julien Mansuy, Isolator Engineering Pool Manager. “
In Vendôme, Julien and his colleagues are creating barrier isolators. Inside the isolators, drug manufacturers can test and prepare medicine in a safe way and get rid of waste without the risk of contamination. Sterility testing of samples from every batch of drugs before the batch is released is mandatory under Pharmacopeia regulations in most countries, and isolators provide the optimal environment by limiting the risk of false positive results. At the same time the isolator is a safe and ergonomic environment for the operator since there is no exposure to the drug being tested.
A patented DPTE® sterile transfer system is also manufactured in Vendôme, consisting of an Alpha port with secure interlock enabling safe connections and disconnections and a Beta container or DPTE-BetaBag®. This system makes it possible to move material in and out of an isolator or sterile zone without breaking containment, and the DPTE-BetaBag® is fully leak tight. Solutions for modular filling lines inside isolators are also provided.
“It is a complete solution for safe manufacturing and transferring of medicine, which is of course of greatest importance for our customers within the drug industry who prepare medicines that are going directly into patients,” tells Julien.
When medicines are prepared in this clean and safe environment, they also reach a higher level of quality.
“And with high quality of the medicine you can make sure that the treatment gets more effective. It also leaves room for fewer side effects,” explains Julien.
It’s obvious that he loves his work and shares a passion with his colleagues.
“We are all proud to be able to provide our customers with this complete solution, to make sure that in the next step, doctors and nurses can treat patients with medicines that are effective and safe. Even if we are just one single link in a long chain we feel that we contribute to save people’s lives, and that is without doubt the best job in the world.”
Learn more about Getinge's Life Science solutions.