#25 - Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Nov 27, 2018 10:59AM ● By Kathleen Maris
Year Founded: 1991
Founder: Bill Kennedy
Headquarters location: West Columbia
Number of employees (start): 30
Number of employees (present): 800
Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation develops and manufactures safe, affordable inhalation solution and suspension products that help patients with respiratory ailments, such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nephron is a leader in manufacturing individually wrapped and bar-coded inhalation therapies, and the only manufacturer of Racemic Epinephrine, 2.25 percent, 0.5mL.
The Nephron 503B Outsourcing Facility is a cGMP manufacturer providing sterile, pre-filled medications to address persistent drug shortages in the United States. Our pre-filled syringes and small-volume parenteral solutions (SVPs), are packaged and designed to meet the needs of hospitals and other healthcare providers. The 503B Outsourcing division is built upon Nephron’s 20-plus years of sterile and automated manufacturing experience.
What are the keys to your company’s rapid growth?
Lou Kennedy (president and CEO): The key to our growth has been our responsiveness to our customers and our focus on compliance and quality. The entire manufacturing process utilizes a variety of systems to accomplish the safety and efficiency goals of manufacturing pharmaceuticals products. This innovative design along with hard work has allowed the company to expand. Nephron launched a new division, Nephron 503B Outsourcing, in 2017 and has continued to grow rapidly.
What’s in store for your company?
Nephron is expanding the facility to add approximately 50,000 additional square feet of manufacturing and clean room space. This will allow the company to continue to grow the product line and accommodate the drug shortage demand.
Nephron is expanding the facility to add approximately 50,000 additional square feet of manufacturing and clean room space. This will allow the company to continue to grow the product line and accommodate the drug shortage demand.
What are your firm’s biggest challenges and how do you plan to overcome them?
The process and timeliness of pharmaceutical submissions is our biggest challenge. We are working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to streamline the drug approval process for drug shortage items that are in high demand.
What trends and innovations do you see for your industry?
Nephron is developing robotic processes to help workers perform difficult, critical tasks. Another new innovation is the manufacturing of injectable products in plastic using blow-fill-seal technology. This will produce a safer, cleaner, and more efficient form of injectable drug.
What word of advice, if any, has shaped your career and who gave it or where did you read it?
A quote from Jim Rohn, “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”
What does being a success mean to you?
Success is being able to help others and solve a problem. Nephron has committed to this by producing medications that help people and can save lives. I am also proud that in being successful, we are able to give back to the community and help others in many ways.