A British manufacturer of specialist equipment used by hospital pharmacists to safely prepare chemotherapy and nuclear medicines has joined Made in Britain amid changing standards for the preparation of sterile medicines.
Buckinghamshire-based Cirrus Containments manufactures pharmaceutical isolators, which are sealed and highly controlled environments in which pharmacists can prepare sensitive medicines for patients, some of which are highly radioactive.
The equipment protects medicines from contamination during preparation while providing a physical barrier between pharmacists and potentially hazardous substances. Cirrus Containments has now officially joined Made in Britain, gaining the right to use the internationally recognised trademark as it targets further growth in the UK and overseas, where it says British-made products are highly regarded by its customers.
There is a lot of focus in hospital pharmacies at the moment on Annex 1 and what the latest requirements mean for the way these medicines are prepared. We’re speaking to pharmacies that are looking at their existing equipment and asking whether it still meets what is required of them.
Edward Bromilow, Sales and Marketing Manager, Cirrus Containments
The move comes as hospital aseptic services respond to revised guidelines which became applicable in the UK in August 2023. The revised EU Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Annex 1 requirements for the manufacture of sterile medicines place a much greater emphasis on contamination control.
Cirrus Containments asserts that this renewed standard is leading hospital pharmacies to scrutinise existing equipment against current standards, with some looking to replace older pharmaceutical isolators that may no longer be fit for purpose.
Edward Bromilow, Sales and Marketing Manager at Cirrus Containments, said: “There is a lot of focus in hospital pharmacies at the moment on Annex 1 and what the latest requirements mean for the way these medicines are prepared. We’re speaking to pharmacies that are looking at their existing equipment and asking whether it still meets what is required of them.
“We’re a smaller, agile manufacturer and our products aren’t simply taken off the shelf. We have a core design, but from there we can work closely with each customer to create the configuration they need.”
Cirrus has also built an unusually local supply chain. Most manufacturing undertaken outside its own facility takes place within around 20 minutes of its Buckinghamshire base, including specialist metalwork used in its isolators.
The company says that keeping its suppliers close allows its team to meet manufacturers in person and maintain oversight of complex components, intellectual property and the quality required for pharmaceutical equipment.
Edward added: “We keep our supply chain remarkably local. Most of the manufacturing we outsource is within about 20 minutes of us, which means we can sit down with suppliers and make sure they understand exactly what we need.
“We’re proud to make our products in Britain, and we’ve had customers overseas tell us that they value British-made products. We realised we weren’t doing enough to promote that. The Made in Britain trademark gives us a recognised way of showing customers where our products are made and what British manufacturing means to us.
“As a company, our mission is to set the new standard in pharmaceutical isolator technology and our vision is to become the partner of choice for aseptic compounding and nuclear medicine facilities worldwide, which we’re confident the Made in Britain trademark can help us to achieve.”
Cirrus is a clinically perfect example of the manufacturing precision and expertise that exists across Britain, behind products and processes most of us may never see.
John Pearce, CEO, Made in Britain
Established in 2013, Cirrus grew largely through word-of-mouth recommendations between hospital pharmacists during its first decade in business. It now sells to seven countries across three continents, with products reaching markets including Peru, Thailand and Saudi Arabia alongside its core UK and Ireland business.
John Pearce, CEO of Made in Britain, said: “Cirrus is a clinically perfect example of the manufacturing precision and expertise that exists across Britain, behind products and processes most of us may never see. The preparation of medicines such as chemotherapy demands especially exacting standards, and Cirrus has built a British manufacturing operation and local supply chain around meeting those requirements.
“As the business looks to grow at home and internationally, the Made in Britain trademark will give customers a clear indication of where its products are manufactured and the British expertise behind them.”
Cirrus Containments has supplied NHS settings including Royal United Hospital in Bath, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the NNUF-EXACT facility at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.
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