Sai Nxt: En route to excellence
Sai Nxt is the organizational transformative initiative of Sai Life Sciences, backed by an investment commitment of US$150M. Envisaged as a 4-year program from 2019 to 2023, it aims to drive transformation across three core areas: (1) People & culture (2) Processes & automation (3) Infrastructure & scientific capabilities. Halfway through the intended time period, Sai Life Sciences has already invested US$100M, enabling an upsurge in the companies capabilities, augmenting its standing as a global CRO-CDMO offering cutting edge solutions to innovator pharma and biotec companies.
At the halfway mark of Sai Nxt, we have completed two-thirds of our committed investment. More importantly, it has augmented our ability to serve the needs of global pharma and biotech innovators with speed, compliance, and dependability.
Highlights of the transformation
Guided by the insights and feedback from its innovator customers, Sai Life Sciences has expanded its R&D and manufacturing facilities, deepened its scientific & technological capabilities, strengthened automation and data systems, and raised the bar for safety, quality, and customer focus.
The following 7 key developments across the organization encapsulate the essence of the progress we have made through the Sai Nxt initiative:
- Growth in scientific depth and scale
- Expansion in technology platforms and capabilities
- Fully integrated discovery and development campus, built for speed
- Global delivery model for biology and process chemistry
- New state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities
- Global customer outreach
- Renewed thrust on Sustainability
1
Growth in scientific depth and scale
The company’s expansion into Boston and Manchester has enabled it to access some of the finest pharmaceutical talent globally and strengthened its ability to solve complex scientific challenges. The simultaneous growth in its India team has brought in niche capabilities and NCE experience.
Key Highlights
- Doubled the full-time equivalents (FTEs) in the areas of discovery chemistry, process chemistry and analytical chemistry
- Manchester team is now 60+
- Onboarded industry veterans in USA, UK and India facilities.
The company has augmented its capabilities across various technologies including high-content screening (HCS), PROTACS, particle sciences & engineering, highly potent APIs, scale-up of flow processes, amidites, peptides, and more.
Key highlights
- HPAPI capability across R&D and Manufacturing
- Particle Science and engineering infrastructure
- Flow chemistry and Biocatalysis capabilities
- Integrated Cleanroom infrastructure
- Short path distillation & ATFE
- Peptides and Amidites capabilities
- Liquid-liquid extraction
2
Expansion in technology platforms and capabilities
3
Building a fully integrated discovery and development campus
The company has consolidated all its India R&D capabilities into a 13-acre integrated campus in Hyderabad with 1200+ scientists and growing. The campus houses integrated discovery (chemistry, biology and DMPK/ tox), early & late phase development, comprehensive analytical process safety and technology platforms, early phase supplies, and technology transfer.
The co-location of cross-functional teams on the same site, combined with streamlined processes and automation, helps faster resolution of technical issues and improves speed.
Key highlights of integrated R&T center at Hyderabad
- Intelligent & ergonomic lab design
- Enhanced safety & productivity
- Advanced automation for seamless data capture
- Lean & 5S approach
- 24 Chemistry Labs with 250 fume hoods
- Analytical lab with comprehensive suite of capabilities
- Fully equipped technology lab
- Dedicated process safety lab
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4
Global delivery model for biology & process chemistry
Moving upstream in the drug discovery journey with foray into exploratory biology and investment in a Boston facility
Key highlights of Boston facility
- Advanced cellular & biochemical analysis platforms
- Fit-for-purpose exploratory biology
- Novel assay development
- Cell assays & high content screening
- Cellular target engagement assays
- In vitro biomarker assessments
- Target/Biomarker ID & validation
- Mechanism of action (MOA) studies
- Misc. reagent validation
To provide its customers an optimal solution in terms of talent, speed, and cost-efficiency, the company has created specialized global R&D teams in Boston (Biology) and Manchester (Process Development) with a proven ability to solve complex scientific challenges.
Complementing the strong track record of handling complex chemistry by the India team, this allows customers the choice to begin their project in Boston or Manchester, following which the projects can be seamlessly tech transferred to Hyderabad for greater throughput or scale-up, as needed. This model is enabled by unified global teams and matching infrastructure and processes across all sites.
Biology facility at Hyderabad with a comprehensive suite of in vitro and in vivo biology services, DMPK, Toxicology
Key highlights of biology facility at Hyderabad
- High throughput capabilities
- Seamless integration with Boston lab
- AAALAC, OLAW & CPCSEA accredited vivarium
- Proximity to medical chemistry facility
Global process R&D; center across Manchester and Hyderabad
A critical aspect of our global expansion plan as part of Sai Nxt initiative is, solving complex challenges in the early phase development of NCEs with UK expansion. To overcome these challenges we have created an integrated model for a global process R&D center across Manchester and Hyderabad enabling seamless collaboration and technology transfer.
Key highlights
- 15,000+ sq. ft process chemistry R&D laboratory at Alderly Park, Manchester
- Access to finest pharmaceutical talent and ecosystem that nurtures innovation
- Invested in state-of-the-art chemistry, scale-up hydrogenation, and analytical laboratories.
5
Augmenting the manufacturing infrastructure
Key Highlights
- The company has added 172 KL API & intermediate manufacturing capacity
- 4 Cleanrooms, at its Bidar manufacturing campus.
- Adding HPAPI and Amidites capabilities by end-2021
- An additional 200 KL manufacturing capacity
- A dedicated facility for companion animal health products by end-2022.
- With this expansion, 80% of the installed capacity will be under 5 years old, and 60% under 3 years old.
6
Global customer outreach
The company has expanded its business development footprint to 15 cities around the world with the aim of having representation as close as possible to customers and elevating its customer-service levels.
Sai Life Sciences has made significant progress in advancing its Sustainability agenda.
Some of the key highlights
- Became the first India-headquartered company to join the PSCI membership.
- Joined ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable (ACS-GCIPR) as an ‘Associate Member’.
- Released its first Sustainability Report in 2020 as per the GRI framework
- Received ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications
- Became a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)
7
Renewed thrust on Sustainability
Certifications, Awards & Recognition
