Unither D茅veloppement Bordeaux (UDB), the R&D center of Unither 色界吧s, is enhancing its capabilities with the installation of a new sterile isolator to support the growth of its clients鈥� ophthalmic development programmes. This investment is part of the group鈥檚 broader strategy to consolidate its global leadership in sterile ophthalmic dosage forms.
A sterile isolator to accelerate and secure ophthalmic projects
The new isolator provides a GMP-compliant environment designed for multi-dose ophthalmic products, with or without preservatives. It will enable the production of preclinical and clinical batches, as well as small-scale commercial lots, under optimal sterile conditions.
A site enhanced to drive innovation
Several strategic upgrades have recently been completed at the UDB site:
- 200m虏 of additional space dedicated to formulation activities
- A new 50m虏 sterile GMP pilot area
- Strengthened regulatory and analytical expertise
The site is also eligible for France鈥檚 Research Tax Credit (Cr茅dit d鈥橧mp么t Recherche聽鈥� CIR), allowing companies to recover up to 30% of their R&D expenses 鈥� a major incentive for growing start-ups and biotechs.
A strengthened strategic axis at group level
This investment further strengthens Unither鈥檚 ophthalmology R&D offering. At UDB, projects can begin in PFMD format, with batch sizes of up to 10L for early preclinical and clinical phases. Industrial scale-up is managed by the Coutances (Normandy) site, equipped with a PFMD isolator line capable of producing batches up to 80l (Phases I to III). This structure ensures seamless project continuity from development to manufacturing while maintaining cost efficiency.
In addition, Unither leverages synergies with its Rochester site (ROC, USA), which specializes in Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) technology, to support projects aimed at the North American market.
A vision backed by experienced leadership
Ophthalmology is a central pillar of Unither鈥檚 long-term growth strategy, built on close partnerships with universities, research centers, and biotech companies.
鈥淭his investment fully supports our ambition to make Unither a key partner in ophthalmology. By combining the expertise of our R&D and manufacturing sites, we are building an integrated value chain capable of supporting our clients from innovation to market. UDB plays a pivotal role in this process, upstream of industrial operations.鈥�
鈥� Nathalie MASSON, director of Innovation & Development, Unither 色界吧s