Continuus Pharmaceuticals

Continuus Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company aiming to overhaul the traditional drug manufacturing process through its Integrated Continuous Manufacturing (ICM) platform. The company was spun out of a significant research collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of (MIT) and Novartis. Continuus was founded in 2012 by a team with deep roots in chemical engineering and pharmaceutical sciences, including Salvatore Mascia, who serves as the Founder and CEO. Mascia's background as a research scientist at MIT and his subsequent role at Novartis provided him with direct insight into the inefficiencies of conventional batch manufacturing, which motivated the creation of the company.

The core of the company's business revolves around the ICM technology, a novel platform that integrates the synthesis of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with the production of the final dosage form into a single, seamless, and automated process. This stands in stark contrast to the conventional, multi-step batch manufacturing that dominates the pharmaceutical industry, a method often plagued by long lead times, high costs, and quality control challenges. The ICM system is designed to enable 'on-demand' production, which could significantly reduce manufacturing timelines from over a year to just a few days. The business serves other pharmaceutical companies and government agencies by providing a more efficient and reliable method for drug production. This is particularly critical for addressing drug shortages, as highlighted by a 2021 contract from the U.S. Department of Defense, valued at up to $88.2 million, to develop a domestic manufacturing facility for critical medicines.

Continuus Pharmaceuticals generates revenue through multiple streams. It engages in co-development partnerships with other pharmaceutical firms to create continuous manufacturing processes for their specific drugs. Additionally, the company is developing its own proprietary line of generic and branded drugs using its ICM platform. This dual approach allows the company to both act as a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and to capture value directly as a drug producer. By drastically cutting down on production time, facility size, and operational waste, the company positions itself as a key enabler for making essential medicines more affordable and consistently available to patients globally.

Keywords: continuous manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, drug shortages, CDMO, active pharmaceutical ingredient, integrated continuous manufacturing, pharmaceutical engineering, on-demand manufacturing, drug development, supply chain