Pfizer’s manufacturing operation in Portage got a good review from heath care and pharmaceutical industry expert Peter Pitts after a visit last Friday.

On the DrugWonks.com site, Pitts lauded the local facility’s culture for quality, which he calls the “unsung hero” of producing safe drugs.

The Portage facility, which houses the bulk of Pfizer 2,960 local workers, manufactures sterile injectables, liquids, semisolids and the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in various medicines. Its many products include antibacterial treatment Zyvox, cancer treatment Camptosar and anti-inflammatory medicine Solu-Medrol.

“What impressed me more than the gee-whiz production aspects of the facility (of which there were plenty) was the dedication of the people who work there — top to bottom,” Pitts wrote. “It actually reminded me a lot of the FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Long-term employees dedicated to serving the public health through dedication to quality. And they all took it very personally. Just like at the FDA, the Pfizer folks (many of whom were not only Upjohn legacy employees — but the sons and daughters of Upjohn employees) were on personal missions of quality. There was a lot of pride on display.”

Pfizer said it occasionally allows experts to tour its facilities. Pitts is president and co-founder of the nonprofit Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. It strives to be a non-partisan promoter of “innovative solutions that advance medical progress, reduce health disparities, extend life and make health care more affordable, preventive and patient-centered.”

His comments can be found at:

http://www.drugwonks.com/blog_post/show/7516