OSD Academy in Minneapolis: A source of solid knowledge

Granulation, tablet compression, and formulation make for a range of fascinating OSD topics. But their diversity and complexity call for expert guidance. This is exactly what Syntegon’s OSD Academy in Minneapolis is all about. The two-day seminar on May 15th and 16th, 2024, is packed with insights and hands-on demonstrations from renowned names in the industry. Alex Trombley, OSD Process Specialist at Syntegon and speaker at the event, tells us what the Academy has in store.

Alex, as a trained chemical engineer and well-versed process developer, you will help attendees navigate the world of OSD production. What can they expect?

The OSD Academy is a well-established event in Europe that we offer in the US as well. We aim to educate formulators, process engineers, and R&D scientists. The OSD Academy is held in our OSD Customer Center in Minneapolis, a hub for customer trials and courses, and is all about creating a foundational understanding of OSD production while presenting Syntegon’s core technologies to a North American audience. We will take a deep dive into topics like wet granulation and tablet compression, as well as consider industry trends like batch vs. continuous manufacturing. There will also be hands-on demonstrations on equipment to provide everything you need to get a sound understanding of operations, the equipment, and troubleshooting.

You will be among the speakers at the OSD Academy. What are you looking forward to most?

I feel at home in seminar settings and enjoy educating others. It’s always a great pleasure to share knowledge with a highly motivated audience. I will delve into wet granulation, including process parameters and scale-up techniques. But it wouldn’t be a true OSD Academy without a broad spectrum of voices. My colleagues Dr. Markus Knoell and Dr. Thomas Brinz, who are renowned OSD experts and have held OSD Academies in Germany, will join to cover topics like compression, different approaches to manufacturing, and many more.

Speaking of attendees: Who else are you excited to meet?

The OSD Academy is the perfect opportunity to network and meet like-minded colleagues and customers from different companies all over the country. This is especially important because people in our profession sometimes struggle to find time out of the lab. Seminars are of course about technologies and processes, but they also allow participants to learn from others, discuss common pain points, and grow professionally. This is why we plan to continue the OSD Academy with a follow-up in the fall on “Coating and Encapsulation” to share more of our expertise with the industry.

If you would like to find out more about OSD production, listen to Episode 7 of our Machines & Medicine podcast, where Alex Trombley takes a closer look at current challenges and opportunities of continuous manufacturing.