Upperton Invests in Dual Fill-2-Weight Capability and Two New Microfluidizers

Upperton has recently purchased a new fill‑2‑weight and dual microfluidizer capability, which will further enhance their precision filling capabilities. Although Upperton already has one fill‑2‑weight machine on-site, it has become the most in‑demand piece of equipment across their development and manufacturing programmes. Adding a second system will not only enable more clients to access the technology sooner, it will also provide the flexibility to run larger batches more efficiently. Where batch sizes are substantial, the additional machine allows for the operation of two fill‑2‑weight units in parallel, which significantly increases throughput and strengthens the overall service offering. This substantial investment also provides greater resilience and scheduling flexibility, helping Upperton to support accelerated timelines and a growing client base more effectively.

The fill‑2‑weight machine is a precision filling piece of equipment that is automated and allows either API alone or a full powder formulation to be accurately filled into a device. This includes nasal delivery devices or capsules, with fill weights down to as little as five milligrams, which is an exceptionally low dose to achieve reproducibly using manual methods or most conventional equipment. Because of this, the technology plays a critical role in enabling early‑phase development, where material can be limited and accuracy is vital for generating meaningful clinical data.

Upperton installed a first fill‑2‑weight machine 18 months ago, and the investment decision was strongly influenced by the fact that it rapidly became the most in‑demand piece of equipment on site. Over this period, there have been consistently long campaigns scheduled on the system, typically running anywhere from one to three months, which increased the risk of client bottlenecks where clients are waiting for the fill-2-weight to become available. Its ability to deliver high‑precision fills with minimal product loss makes it particularly attractive to biotechs working with expensive or scarce materials, and this has further contributed to the bottleneck.

Speaking to Upperton’s Associate Director of Manufacturing Operations, Dipak Gordhan told us “the addition of a second fill-2-weight machine significantly extends the number of projects we are able to support at our facility. At Upperton, we’re proud to be able to offer extremely competitive timelines on our projects, thanks largely to our unique operating setup, and this additional technology only enhances that.”

By purchasing a second fill‑2‑weight, Upperton have increased capacity for existing clients, helping them to move onto the precision filling platform earlier and ultimately progress their clinical trials more quickly. They have also expanded their capacity to take on new programmes. The dual‑machine setup enables larger batch sizes and run parallel campaigns, which significantly improves throughput. Two systems operating simultaneously can deliver campaigns ranging from 80,000 to 100,000 devices, offering greater flexibility, reduced lead times, and enhanced responsiveness to clients with accelerated development timelines. In addition to this, having a second unit in place strengthens business continuity and ensures that critical‑path activities remain uninterrupted.

In addition to a second fill-2-weight machine, Upperton have also invested in the M110 and M815 Microfluidizer® systems. This advanced technology provides the capability to produce highly uniform emulsions and suspensions with particle sizes in the nanometer range. By achieving such fine, consistent particle size reduction, feedstocks can be created that are ideally suited for downstream spray drying. Once spray dried, these nano‑enabled formulations can be transformed into powders with significantly enhanced stability, solubility and bioavailability.

Crucially, this investment marks the first time Upperton can offer true nanoemulsion and nanosuspension development in‑house. This is a capability increasingly sought after by partners developing complex, next‑generation drug products. Nano‑scale processing has been widely recognised for its ability to improve the performance of poorly soluble APIs, reduce dose variability and enable more predictable pharmacokinetic profiles. By bringing microfluidization technology into their facility, Upperton are not only expanding the range of formulation challenges they can address but also strengthening their ability to support customers from early feasibility through to scalable manufacturing with a fully integrated, science‑driven approach.

Upperton have invested in two Microfluidizer® systems to support both early‑stage development and scalable manufacturing. One unit is designed for small‑scale processing, while the second offers mid‑ to large‑scale capability, ensuring a clear pathway from feasibility through to clinical and commercial production.