MagnaPharm · Project

Magnetic Fields Control Drug Crystal Forms to Fix Manufacturing Problems

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Many drugs can crystallize into different shapes — like how carbon can be either graphite or diamond. The wrong crystal form means a pill might not dissolve properly, or it could lose its potency on the shelf. MagnaPharm discovered that strong magnets can force drug crystals to grow into exactly the right shape every time. They tested this on 12 of the world's best-selling generic drugs and even built a library of crystal "seeds" that manufacturers can use on demand.

By the numbers

high-profile generic drugs targeted for polymorph control

€18 billion

annual worldwide sales of the 12 targeted generic drugs

consortium partners across 3 countries

total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Pharmaceutical manufacturers cannot reliably control which crystal form a drug takes during production. The wrong crystal polymorph means pills that dissolve too slowly, lose potency on the shelf, or fail regulatory tests — leading to scrapped batches and delayed market entry. With the 12 most common generic drugs alone generating €18 billion in annual sales, even small improvements in polymorphism control represent massive value.

The solution

What was built

The team built a magnetic-field crystallization method tested on 12 high-profile generic drugs including carbamazepine and indomethacin. Their key tangible output is a physical repository of crystal seeds — a "seed on demand" service — plus 21 deliverables covering theoretical models and spectroscopic characterizations of magnetic effects on crystal growth.

Audience

Who needs this

Generic drug manufacturers with polymorphism-related batch failuresCDMOs offering crystallization and solid-form development servicesPharmaceutical companies with drug candidates stuck due to solid-form issuesCrystallization equipment manufacturers looking for next-generation methodsRegulatory consultants specializing in pharmaceutical solid-state chemistry

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Generic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Generic drug manufacturers struggling with polymorphic variability in production

If you are a generic drug manufacturer dealing with batch-to-batch inconsistency in crystal forms — this project developed a magnetic-field crystallization method tested on 12 high-profile generic drugs worth €18 billion in annual sales. The technique forces the desired crystal polymorph every time, reducing failed batches and regulatory rejection risk. They also created a physical repository of crystal seeds available as a 'seed on demand' service.

Contract Development and Manufacturing (CDMO)

mid-size

Target: CDMOs offering crystallization and solid-form development services

If you are a CDMO offering drug substance manufacturing and you lose time and money when crystallization yields the wrong polymorph — this project built a method using magnetic fields to reliably produce the lowest-energy or most processable crystal form. The approach was guided by AstraZeneca and tested across 12 representative drug molecules. Adopting this could differentiate your crystallization services from competitors.

Pharmaceutical R&D and Drug Development

enterprise

Target: Pharma companies with drugs stuck in development due to solid-form issues

If you are a pharmaceutical company whose drug candidates keep failing because of uncontrollable crystal polymorphism — MagnaPharm showed that magnetic fields can direct which crystal form grows. Many new drugs stall in development because of solid-form problems, and this method offers a new route to get the desired polymorph reliably. The project produced 21 deliverables including theoretical models and a crystal seed repository.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement magnetic crystallization in our facility?

The project data does not include specific equipment or licensing costs. Implementing this would require access to high magnetic field equipment and the crystal seed repository. Contact the University of Bristol team to discuss pricing for their 'seed on demand' service and equipment specifications.

Can this method work at industrial production scale?

The project targeted 12 high-volume generic drugs, but the work was conducted in a university research setting with no industrial manufacturing partners in the consortium. Scaling from laboratory magnetic crystallization to production-line volumes would require significant engineering work and validation. Based on available project data, industrial-scale feasibility has not yet been demonstrated.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

The project was coordinated by the University of Bristol under an EU FET-Open grant. IP from EU-funded projects typically stays with the consortium members who generated it. You would need to negotiate licensing terms directly with the university. AstraZeneca was involved as a guiding partner, which may affect freedom to operate in certain applications.

Which specific drugs has this been tested on?

The project targeted 12 of the most high-profile, high-worth generic drugs. The objective specifically mentions carbamazepine, indomethacin, and coronene as compounds where magnetic field control of polymorphism was initially demonstrated. The full list of 12 target molecules would be available in the project's published deliverables.

How does this fit with current pharmaceutical regulations?

Polymorphism control is a known regulatory concern — agencies like the EMA and FDA require manufacturers to demonstrate consistent crystal form production. A reliable method to control polymorphism could actually simplify regulatory filings by reducing variability. However, magnetic-field crystallization as a production method would itself need regulatory qualification.

How long before this could be used in real production?

The project ran from 2017 to 2021 and produced a crystal seed repository as a demonstrator. Based on available project data, the technology is at research-to-prototype stage. Moving to validated pharmaceutical manufacturing would likely require several more years of engineering scale-up, GMP qualification, and regulatory approval.

Consortium

Who built it

MagnaPharm's consortium of 4 partners across 3 countries (Ireland, Netherlands, UK) is entirely academic — all universities with zero industrial partners and zero SMEs. This is typical for FET-Open projects that push scientific frontiers. Notably, AstraZeneca is mentioned in the objective as a guiding partner for compound selection, but they sit outside the formal consortium. For a business considering this technology, the all-academic setup means strong scientific foundations but no manufacturing validation yet. Any commercialization path will require bringing in industrial crystallization expertise that the current team lacks.

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOLCoordinator · UK
STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITEITparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICKparticipant · IE
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

University of Bristol, UK — look for the principal investigator in the Chemistry or Physics department who led MagnaPharm

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the magnetic crystallization method or the crystal seed repository? SciTransfer can connect you with the MagnaPharm research team and help structure the conversation.

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