Akbar Pharmaceuticals this week launched a historically significant initiative, inaugurating the first fully equipped formulation development and manufacturing facility - the LINA Respiratory Research Centre and Manufacturing Facility - for respiratory care in Sri Lanka at Ratmalana.
 |
| Picture shows Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena being showed products at the facility after it was opened this week. |
“The LINA formulation development and manufacturing facility for respiratory care signals a significant enhancement of national capacity for research and formulation, an area any Sri Lankan pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has been hesitant to enter due to its need for high investment in testing equipment and research as a precursor to manufacture,” Akbar Pharmaceuticals said in a statement.
The greater achievement is in breathing fresh life into an original idea –a Presidential Award winning invention - developed by a Sri Lankan, Dr. Anil Goonethilake.
A novel product formulation it is a unique inhaler device that facilitates fine particle dispensation, the statement said. Conceived and designed by Dr. Gunathilake, it was developed and manufactured by LINA Research Centre after intense research and supporting assistance by the University of Moratuwa, the unique inhaler device which employs a simple mechanism to dispense a finer spray of particles to carry the medication directly to required areas significantly increases speed of relief. LINA has also formulated and manufactured a specially designed capsule to facilitate the process.
“It is the first ever such centre in Sri Lanka and is a world class facility,” said Rohan Wettasingha, General Manager, Akbar Pharmaceuticals. “It calls for great courage and broad vision to take the decision to invest and manage a venture as important and ground breaking as this.”
Among the many expensive research and testing equipment installed at the facility at Borupana Road, Ratmalana, is an artificial lung used for testing how deeply medication penetrates the lung when using inhalers and other delivery devices. A research and formulation team headed by the pioneer of development formulation for respiratory care Dr. Gunathilake handles the sophisticated equipment in a sterile, climatically controlled environment. |
E-mail
