Innovation only becomes valuable when it is accessible. With our new Application Laboratory in Étampes, we are bringing scientific support closer to our customers, empowering them to make faster, smarter formulation decisions.
Safic-Alcan Launches its Global Pharmaceutical Application Laboratory in France
On April 3, 2025, Safic-Alcan, a global distributor of specialty chemicals, has opened its new Global Pharmaceutical Application Laboratory in Étampes, France, reinforcing its long-term commitment to innovation, proximity, and pharmaceutical development support.
In a pharmaceutical market where precision, speed, and regulatory readiness are more critical than ever, Safic-Alcan is transforming its role—from product supplier to true technical partner. The new facility is designed to address the challenges formulators face daily: excipient variability, complex regulatory requirements, and the pressure to develop robust, scalable formulations quickly.
A Space Where Science Meets Service
Fully equipped with advanced technologies such as the STYL’One Nano tablet press, INNOJET High Shear Mixer, and PROCEPT Fluidized Air Bed, the lab replicates real-world production conditions to help clients:
- Optimize formulations and excipient combinations
- Validate dual or triple sourcing strategies
- Simulate industrial tablet compression and coating processes
- Generate regulatory-ready technical documentation
The lab is led by Fahad Mouhamad, Pharmaceutical Development Laboratory Manager, and works in close collaboration with Safic-Alcan’s Life Sciences business teams and technical experts.
“This lab is not just a facility,” said Jose Lora, Life Sciences Group Managing Director. “It’s the physical expression of our mission: to connect supplier innovation with customer formulation reality, through proximity, responsiveness, and shared expertise.”
Supporting Customers and Suppliers Across the Value Chain
Through application testing, technical support, and formulation advice, the Étampes lab enables Safic-Alcan to support both ends of the pharmaceutical supply chain: from evaluating new excipient grades with suppliers to solving formulation issues with customers. It also offers a growing suite of value-added services, including:
- Technical seminars on compression, coating, and granulation
- Customized development visits and on-site client support
- Fast-track data generation for R&D and regulatory teams
“From the lab floor, we now simulate actual production environments and de-risk decisions for our clients,” said Fahad Mouhamad. “We provide consistent, validated solutions—whether they’re reformulating due to supply chain issues or preparing for scale-up.”
“Strategically, this changes the conversation,” added Gaël Garnaud, Group Business Development Director for Pharmaceuticals. “We’re not just recommending ingredients—we’re demonstrating performance, building trust, and shortening development timelines.”
Looking ahead, Safic-Alcan plans to continue expanding the capabilities of the Étampes facility, further anchoring its role as a center of excellence for pharmaceutical formulation and development support.
“It’s already becoming a space where ideas take shape before they go to market,” said Garnaud. “And that’s exactly where we want to be."
