Bart Rimez began his presentation by expressing gratitude for the introduction and the opportunity to speak. He introduced Secoya Technologies, a company founded in 2019, which emerged from research conducted at the TIPs laboratory at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. The company focused on four main pillars: crystallisation, emulsification and encapsulation, pervaporation, and process intensification.
Rimez elaborated on the crystallisation technology, which aimed to perform crystallisation of any molecule in a continuous flowing system. This technology allowed for the control of particle size distribution, density, and flowability during the crystallisation process, making it unique in the pharmaceutical market. The goal was to reduce development time and costs by providing the necessary parameters for upscaling from lab to production.
He explained that their units could be divided into two parts: encapsulation and emulsification for early-stage development, and crystallisation for developing systems that generate critical material attributes. The technology enabled spontaneous nucleation inside the reactor by rapidly cooling the reactor, allowing full control of the temperature and nucleation process. This resulted in a constant production rate of crystals, which could be filtered out or grown to equilibrium in a CSTR tank.
Rimez provided an example of the molecule Brivaracetam, where their technology allowed for polymorph selectivity and control of particle size. By cooling the reactor quickly, they prevented the formation of unwanted polymorphic forms and achieved the desired crystal structure. The technology also enabled the use of anti-solvents to further control particle size and polymorphism.
He discussed the scalability of their technology, from lab-scale to industrial-scale production. The SCT lab instrument allowed for the development of recipes at the gramme scale, which could then be scaled up to pilot and industrial units. This ensured consistent material attributes and quality across different scales.
Rimez concluded by highlighting the importance of having a stable and reliable technology that could be easily implemented in pharmaceutical companies. He invited the audience to visit their booth and attend upcoming seminars for more detailed discussions and demonstrations.
