Area Development
Atlas Analytical Inc., a microbiology and chemistry quality control laboratory, relocated to an expanded operations campus 50 miles north of Tampa in Brooksville, Florida.

According to company officials, The decision to expand follows a growing demand for the quality services offered by Atlas. The new facility houses laboratories for testing drug product potency, raw material quality, container closure integrity, and includes a validated clean room for testing product sterility. The additional space also gives room for controlled temperature and humidity chambers to store drug product and to confirm shelf life.

“Florida is home to many compounding pharmacies, so it was a natural spot to start this endeavor,” says Atlas Co-Founder Tony Grilli. “There are also several state and private colleges offering first class education in the life sciences which makes it a rich source for talent.”

Atlas officials noted the company was founded shortly after the New England Compounding Center contamination event that claimed over 60 lives. Grilli, a microbiologist with over 25 years of drug industry experience, started the company because he saw a need for quality laboratory support for compounding pharmacies and the life sciences industry in general.

“The FDA Inspection Reports (US 483 Findings) that were coming out in 2014 after NECC showed that the industry was not applying Good Manufacturing Practices to testing or manufacturing. While this was not required of pharmacies at the time, these principles are important to assuring product potency and purity,” explained Grilli. “I thought the market deserved a laboratory that applied these principles to testing compounded drug product.”

“It’s personally satisfying to know that quality work is rewarded. We look forward to continued growth at our Brooksville site,” says Grilli.

Atlas is an FDA registered, cGMP compliant laboratory with a focus on customer service. The lab reported it leads the industry in turn-around times, with product sterility test results available in a single day utilizing validated cutting edge ScanRDI technology. All methods are validated for every product release. This focus on regulatory and service quality has been Atlas’s recipe for success. Aside from compounded pharmacy products, Atlas tests medical devices, biotech, cosmetic, and generic drug product for other manufacturers in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.