Tech Group lands inhaler dealTech Group lands inhaler deal

With all approvals in place, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration gave the green light to pharmaceutical maker Pfizer Inc. and The Tech Group, a West Pharmaceutical Services company, in conjunction with Nektar Therapeutics, to begin manufacturing a drug delivery inhaler device for Exubera, a new powder insulin system to treat diabetes. Nektar developed the inhaler device and the powder-insulin formulation for Exubera in partnership with Pfizer.

According to Mike Treadaway, general manager Tech Group (Scottsdale, AZ), the company played a critical role in the development and manufacturing of this inhaler. In an interview at the MD&M trade show in Anaheim, Treadaway said, "[The Exubera] contains multiple components and involves multiple processes including high-speed thin-wall molding, and a variety of secondary operations in a fully automated operation."