The goals of the Dane O. Kildsig Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research (CPPR) are to explore and develop new technology for pharmaceutical processing, to foster collaborative research projects between industrial and academic scientists, and to promote an interdisciplinary approach to training students in pharmaceutical process research and development. The major research areas of the Center are:

• Study of the interplay between physical and mechanical properties of pharmaceutical materials and processing conditions, establishing the role of such interaction on the critical quality attributes of the resulting product. The long-term goal of this research is reduced trial-and-error empiricism in formulation and process development, with an accompanying reduced time-to-market for new pharmaceutical products.
• Exploration, development and refinement of new technologies for process monitoring and control, leading to improved product quality based on process understanding. Measurable benefits include reduced cost, ease of process validation, better safety assurance, and improved regulatory compliance.

Research projects supported by the CPPR cover the areas of granulation, powder blending, PAT, pharmaceutical applications of supercritical fluid technology, freeze-drying, nucleation and crystal growth processes, filtration, sterilization of disperse systems, and microparticulate technology. The lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry is new products, and reduction of time-to-market is a critical success factor. Minimizing time-to-market means minimizing false starts and excessive trial-and-error experiments in developing optimum formulation and processing conditions. The CPPR approach is to combine industrial relevance with academic rigor in its projects. The combination translates into scientifically sound know-how, transferred to companies in an industrially appropriate time frame. The CPPR works toward its goals through continuously enhancing its educational objectives and adapting them to the existing industrial environment. Research projects provide our students with first-rate training on a scientific approach to formulation and process research, producing scientists with a fundamental understanding on scientific areas of critical industrial relevance.