Purna is a family-owned Belgian company established in 1986, providing contract services for the development and manufacturing of non-sterile solid, semi-solid and liquid pharmaceutical products that meet GXP standards as well as specific customer-related requirements.
The company offers a wide range of medicines of the highest quality at reasonable price for urgent needs to an indigent section of the population, and also exports pharmaceutical products, primarily via tender, to non-governmental organizations and national authorities. Over the years, Purna has established a reputation for excellence and a global presence in the pharma industry, resulting in the status of preferred partner for most of the top 10 pharma multinationals.
Managing Director Bart Peeters affirms that in addition to the development and manufacturing provided within its contract services, since 2016 the company has also been independently developing projects in cooperation with researchers, universities and medical professionals. This underscores Purna’s innovative character.
“A lot of research results do not make it to market because of limited resources or a lack of skills and/or interest. In Purna, we identify these projects, make sure that the technology gets patented, make an exclusive agreement with the inventors, and then start working with our team, applying our know-how and wide-ranging experience, to take it to the next phase, which, in most cases, culminates in a finished product ready to be launched in the marketplace. This is done with the help of professional distributors.”
A catalyst for expansion
What is behind the company’s success in the competitive pharmaceutical environment? Wesley De Jaeghere, PhD, Business Development Manager at Purna Pharmaceuticals, explains that, in addition to its expertise, at the heart of Purna Pharmaceuticals’ success lies its customer intimacy model.
“Purna ensures personalized attention for every customer. Each project is managed by a dedicated point of contact, fostering trust and collaboration. By pursuing customer intimacy as a strategic model, we combine detailed customer knowledge with operational flexibility, so we can respond quickly to almost any need, from customising a product to fulfilling special requests. This approach resonates particularly well with smaller companies, which may struggle to secure such an attention from larger CDMOs.”
Speaking about the company’s current position, Wesley De Jaeghere points out that Purna is now at an exciting stage of its development. “For decades, we have been known as a traditional Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) focusing on liquid and semi-solid formulations. Over the last ten or so years, have been transitioning to a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), reshaping our business model by placing significant emphasis on research and development. That is the growth business for Purna.”
He further acknowledges that one of the most significant milestones for Purna Pharmaceuticals was obtaining FDA approval in March 2024. This achievement marked a turning point, enabling the company to expand its presence in the US market. De Jaeghere affirms that the company is now striving to maximise its market participation in the US to justify the substantial resources allocated to securing the FDA licence.
“We had our first commercial production launched in the US earlier this year, which was a major milestone for the company. The aim is to explore the US market potential more and to seize prospective opportunities. Therefore, we are trying to evolve further in the R&D landscape to attract new formulation development all the way through to commercial production.”
He points out that this would mean a significant benefit for customers – covering end-to-end services, from formulation development and analytical testing to commercial supply, would eliminate the need for customers to switch between service providers as the entire process would be covered by a single company.
This is also the message Purna is now pushing in the pharma market – as a result of recent investment and capability expansion, the company is poised to grow as a fully-fledged CDMO business. “With our licences, which are valid almost globally, we can take up a range of projects, successfully serving small start-ups as well as large pharmaceutical companies.”
One-Stop Shop for Pharmaceutical Development
With expertise in niche formulations such as creams, ointments, gels, emulsions, suspensions, and solutions, Purna caters to a diverse range of therapeutic areas, including dermatology, respiratory diseases, and muscular disorders.
“Although R&D has emerged as the cornerstone of Purna Pharmaceuticals’ growth strategy, the R&D landscape presents unique challenges,” admits De Jaeghere. “Unlike the CMO model, where production volumes are relatively predictable, R&D projects are subject to variability. Clinical studies can face sudden setbacks, leading to abrupt project terminations.”
“To address this challenge, we are actively working to expand our R&D customer portfolio, ensuring a steady pipeline of projects and reducing our dependency on individual contracts. We are looking both at multinationals as well as at smaller companies. Specifically, smaller companies may be more easily attracted to contract the full pathway from development to commercial supply.”
Speaking about market trends, he reflects that sustainability is a hot topic, although sustainability is a complex issue in the pharmaceutical industry. While the company acknowledges some limitations when implementing sustainable practices in a regulated environment (e.g. packaging materials), it is taking proactive steps to minimize its environmental impact. For instance, Purna plans to install solar panels to generate its own electricity, thereby reducing its reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
“Local sourcing to reduce transportation is another important factor for carbon footprint reduction; many of our suppliers are European, and some are even based in close proximity. Our company is located within a pharmaceutical ecosystem in Belgium, and we are surrounded by other industry players and suppliers. For example, Pfizer and Novartis, are located just across the road from us,” says De Jaeghere.
Future Outlook: Scaling New Heights
He affirms that as Purna Pharmaceuticals looks to the future, its primary focus will be on strengthening its R&D capabilities. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the company plans to increase its R&D workforce and invest in state-of-the-art equipment to support advanced formulation and analytical development.
“With the enhanced capabilities, we are ready to further boost our reputation as a comprehensive end-to-end solution provider in the pharmaceuticals market. We are planning to participate in international conferences, in order to showcase our expertise, build brand recognition and establish new partnerships.
“We are confident that we have a great team and our ability to act quickly plays to our strengths. The CMO market is still important to us but with our strong science-based expertise and an enhanced focus on R&D, we are ready to grow as a CDMO,” Wesley De Jaeghere concludes. This is clearly in line with Purna’s vision to be acknowledged as the best-in-class provider of contract development and manufacturing in the niche market of pharmaceutical liquids and semi-solids.
