Facility
Our state of the art facility in West Columbia, South Carolina is where the art and science of pharmaceutical innovation meet.
Nephron is the world's largest blow-fill-seal (BFS) manufacturing company by total capacity. At our 408,000 square-foot facility, we can efficiently produce a range of products using BFS technology.
Innovating for the Future
We designed our LEED certified facility in South Carolina to lead the world in blow-fill-seal (BFS) manufacturing. This technology forms, fills, and seals vials in one continuous process without human interaction. For decades, we have specialized in producing generic respiratory medications using BFS. Our new West Columbia facility has been designed to produce several billion doses annually of inhalation products and other sterile compounded medications.
Award-winning Facility
Nephron Pharmaceuticals earned the 2017 Global Facility of the Year Honorable Mention by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering.
The ISPE established the Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) to recognize companies that utilize new and innovative technologies. The FOYA program provides a platform for manufacturers in the healthcare industry to showcase accomplishments and cutting-edge approaches.
Automation Drives Quality and Efficiency
At our award-winning facility, we run a completely automated manufacturing, packaging, and distribution process. This maximizes production efficiency and minimizes the risk of human error and contamination. After our products are formed using blow-fill-seal (BFS) technology, a fleet of unmanned forklifts, or laser guided vehicles, move the finished medicines to our warehouse. Our automated packaging system barcodes all medication and places them into cartons for shipping to end users.
Our high-volume and redundant utility systems maximize our production capability. Over the last eight years, we have distributed more than one billion doses of respiratory medicine annually.
Eco-friendly Initiatives
Nephron's industry-leading manufacturing plant in West Columbia, S.C. promotes a positive environmental image by incorporating green building practices into the facility. By taking a sustainable approach to manufacturing, we are able to leave a lasting impact on the environment, while also enjoying energy and cost savings.
The facility was designed to combat indoor air quality issues, and is equipped with energy efficient lighting and ventilation systems that are adequate for all necessary tasks. The building uses at least 30% less water and 10% less energy than the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) baseline for buildings of similar size and occupation.
Recycle bins are located in each department throughout the facility, and employees are encouraged to separate recyclables from trash. Recycling programs are in place for paper, plastics, aluminum, glass, cardboard, metal, batteries, electronics, and pallets/wood. In addition, several spaces in the employee parking lots are reserved for energy efficient vehicles as part of our LEED certification.
Nephron Earns LEED Silver Certification
Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a LEED Silver Certification member, issued by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, and provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. At Nephron, we are proud to be an industry leader, supporting the ongoing development of a prosperous and sustainable future.
Investments in pharmaceutical innovation are investments in improving patient outcomes. We are proud to bring affordable, life-saving products to patients every day.
Facility Fast Facts
We ship 1,000,000,000+ doses of medication a year.
Our roof is the size of 4.5 football fields
Over 500,000 square feet of drywall was used to build our walls
6 miles of PVC was installed just for the irrigation system
8 acres of sod were used for our landscaping
3,300 trucks of concrete were used to build Nephron (the equivalent of 33,000 cubic yards)
