A PHARMACEUTICAL firm is pouring £20m into developing its Swindon factory - adding up to 100 jobs.

Catalent Pharma Solutions, based on the Blagrove Industrial Estate near Junction 16, is making the investment to develop new tablets designed to dissolve instantly in the mouth without needing to be dissolved in or taken with water.

The multi-million pound boost will mean the firm can double the number of tablets it can produce. The pills are made with a special coating, trademarked as Zydis Ultra, that will significantly increase the dose of medication that can be incorporated within a tablet. 

Popular prescription drugs including Imodium, make use of the Catalent fast-dissolve technology. 

Peter Allen, general manager at Catalent Swindon, said: “The medicines that we make in Swindon help patients all around the world to live better healthier lives.

“Zydis technology is incorporated into many prescription medicines and popular over-the-counter brands and we are very proud of the scientific team that we have here that continues to develop this revolutionary technology allowing us to expand and grow and widen the number of potentially life-changing conditions it can treat.”

Catalent’s facility employs over 650 people and manufactures 1.2 billion individual doses of medicines for patients around the world each year.

As well as sending tablets across the world, staff at the site also test pharmaceuticals for many UK and international pharma companies.