• Bishop Site: 20 years dedication to the pharmaceutical industry
• Environmental-friendly production through BASF’s award-winning production process
• Innovation in speed: Ibuprofen DC 85 helps to decrease production time and reduce cost

BASF – the world leading producer of generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) – honored yesterday in a celebration twenty years of operations in the manufacturing of Ibuprofen. In Bishop, Texas, BASF operates  a world- class production plant for manufacturing ibuprofen, a commonly used pain killer drug substance, deploying an award-winning, environmental- friendly production technique that avoids the use of chromium salts and minimizes waste.

Bishop: 20 years dedication to the pharmaceutical industry

The BASF facility at the Bishop, Texas, site was built in 1991 and began operations on September, 1992. Since then, it has become one of the world’s most significant Ibuprofen plants. The FDA-audited and GMP-compliant production site is part of the OSHA (U.S. Department of

Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) and is recognized with the “VPP Star site” status. The VPP recognizes employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems.

“We are proud of the Bishop facility team and their unparalleled dedication to sustainability, safety and reliability,” said Daniele Piergentili, Vice President BASF Pharma Ingredients and Services North America. “The ibuprofen products manufactured at our Bishop facility are the heart of our active ingredients portfolio and represent BASF’s long-term commitment to reliable supply of high-quality pharmaceutical ingredients to our partners.” BASF’s latest addition to the ibuprofen product range is Sodium Ibuprofen. The product dissolves quickly and thus provides faster pain killing effects for patients.

Leading in environmental-friendly production

BASF’s ibuprofen production process is an innovative, efficient technology that has revolutionized bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing. It provides an innovative solution to a prevalent problem commonly encountered in bulk API synthesis. Large volumes of aqueous wastes (often containing chromium salts) normally associated with such manufacturing are virtually eliminated. The anhydrous hydrogen fluoride catalyst/solvent is recovered and recycled. Furthermore, no other solvent is needed in any of the reaction steps, simplifying product recovery and minimizing fugitive emissions. The streamlined and continuously improved process makes it a waste-minimizing, environmentally friendly technology. The environmental superiority of the ibuprofen technology at BASF’s Bishop site was recognized with a Kirkpatrick Achievement Award for “outstanding advances in chemical engineering technology” in 1993 and a Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 1997.

Innovation with Ibuprofen DC 85

Today BASF produces several ibuprofen grades at its Bishop site including the API for the process-accelerating Ibuprofen DC 85 product, which has been specifically designed for direct compression into tablets. With Ibuprofen DC 85, BASF solved two of the most common industry challenges in direct compression of ibuprofen: persistent sticking to the machinery and the need for high concentration of drug substances. Ibuprofen DC 85 maximizes production speed while minimizing stickiness. The result is a reliable fault-free tableting production with higher output rates. Furthermore, expensive wet granulation and compaction processing steps are not needed, which reduces production costs.

For more than 75 years, BASF has been the world-leading supplier of generic active ingredients such as ibuprofen, theophylline, pseudoephedrine or caffeine to the pharmaceutical industry. In 2013, BASF will extend its portfolio by introducing a pharmaceutical grade of L-menthol to the market. 

About BASF Nutrition & Health

• Bishop Site : 20 years dedication to the pharmaceutical industry
• Environmental-friendly production through BASF’s award-winning production process
• Innovation in speed: Ibuprofen DC 85 helps to decrease production time and reduce cost

BASF’s Nutrition & Health division develops, produces and markets a comprehensive range of products and services for the human and animal nutrition, pharmaceutical as well as flavor and fragrance industries. The division addresses customer needs and enhances consumers’ well-being and quality of life. Nutrition & Health provides the pharmaceutical industry with active ingredients such as caffeine and ibuprofen, as well as excipients and customized synthesis services. The division produces aroma ingredients such as citral and geraniol for the flavor and fragrance industry. Important human nutrition products are vitamins and carotenoids, plant sterols, emulsifiers and omega-3 fatty acids. Its feed additives such as vitamins, carotenoids and enzymes make Nutrition & Health a worldwide leader for the animal nutrition market.

BASF – The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

BASF Corporation

BASF Corporation

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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