Nephron to add non-respiratory drug to portfolio

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Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. is expanding its portfolio of generic drugs to include non-respiratory products.

Today, the West Columbia-based company announced Food and Drug Administration approval for its abbreviated new drug application for Ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve pain, usually after surgery.

Single-dose vials of ketorolac tromethamine contain 60 milligrams and are made of polypropylene plastic with a “luer lock” or slip tip connector for needle-free dosing. The vials are manufactured using Blow-Fill-Seal technology.

Earlier this year, Nephron received FDA approval to manufacture Sodium Chloride IV intravenous bags.

“We are extraordinarily excited to expand our generic medication portfolio to include non-respiratory products,” Nephron owner and CEO Lou Kennedy said in a news release. “This is the latest sign that Nephron is growing, and it represents a real reason for our entire team to celebrate.” 

Nephron develops and produces generic inhalation solutions and suspension products and operates a 503B Outsourcing Facility division that produces pre-filled sterile syringes and IV bags for hospitals. The company recently opened a CLIA-certified diagnostics lab and conducts COVID-19 tests for people across South Carolina.

Last month, Nephron raised the final beam on a $215.8 million expansion of its Saxe-Gotha Industrial Park campus. Part of that expansion is a 110,000-square-foot vaccine production, chemotherapy and antibiotic wing that Kennedy expects to be operational around March 2021.

At the beam-raising ceremony on Nov. 17, about a month before the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine received FDA approval for emergency use, Kennedy said Nephron is actively looking for a vaccine production partner.