The first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that
authenticates, encrypts data and monitors product
temperature hit the shelves last week, aimed specifically at
protecting the pharmaceutical supply chain.
IWKA, a German automation specialist that designs and builds
manufacturing and packaging systems, is selling its packaging
division to Berlin-based investment company Odewald & Compagnie
for around €255 million.
Becton Dickinson (BD) has extended its existing franchise in safety
injection products and insulin delivery technologies into the
safety pen needle market, with the US launch of the BD AutoShield
Pen Needle.
Swiss packaging-machine manufacturer Alphacos has launched a new
product to help protect healthcare workers using pre-filled
syringes against needlestick injuries.
A report this week suggests that enforced restrictions in pack size
for paracetamol (acetaminophen) in the UK may have had little or no
impact on reducing the number of paracetamol poisonings.
The demand for international assistance in recruitment processes
from pharmaceutical companies is set to boom in the next 12 months,
according to an industry player.
UK drug delivery and orthopaedic devices company The Medical House
(TMH) is entering the second phase of a development project for a
European defence agency involving its AutoSafety Injector (ASI)
disposable autoinjector technology...
Sanofi-Aventis is gearing up for the European roll-out of a new
disposable insulin pen designed to address a broader spectrum of
patient needs than currently available injection devices.
An innovative new platform technology with a myriad of applications
has been developed by a UK firm, and promises to be a novel arrow
in the quiver of the pharma industry in its attempts to shoot down
drug counterfeiters.
Packaging technology firm Bradman Lake is selling off recently
acquired brands Albro, Dico and Gravfil only months after investing
in a new multi-million pound manufacturing facility.
Novel needle-free injections that don't cause the pain and bruising
common with existing needle-free devices have been developed by a
team in California.
In-PharmaTechnologist takes an indepth look at the new radio
frequency identification (RFID) technology that will soon
revolutionise pharmaceutical supply chain management.
Adept Technology has introduced a ceiling-mounted version of its
s800 series Cobra robot. The inverted robot offers high-speed
packaging and assembly with a wider reach, while leaving a much
clearer working area.
Alpha Packaging has bought fellow US company Quality Container, a
specialist in plastic bottles for pharmaceutical and dietary
supplement products, for an undisclosed sum.
Eli Lilly has come up with a new insulin pen with a digital display
that allows patients to record and review the time, date and dose
of the last 16 insulin shots.
Using contractors to fulfil packaging needs can significantly
reduce the time new products take to hit the market, claimed Gareth
Lewis of Cardinal Health, speaking at SMi's Pharmaceutical
Packaging and Labelling conference in...
French firm Valois Pharma will be providing Generex with a novel
valve for its pressurised metered dose inhaler (pMDI), used for its
innovative method of buccal delivery of insulin.
Therapeutic drugs can now be smoked like cigarettes thanks to a
novel drug delivery device developed by new player Alexza
Pharmaceuticals. The inhaled drugs hit the bloodstream much quicker
than with other drug delivery techniques,...
Swedish packaging manufacturer Cerbo has developed a novel closure
for tablet bottles as a user-friendly alternative for those who
have limited dexterity in their hands and fingers.
A security technology that had been strictly limited to use by
governmental organisations is now available commercially, with
several major pharmaceutical manufacturers keen to snap up the
device and protect their supply chain....
A new inhaler with a child-friendly design aims to solve the
problem of dosage variance and patient compliance - key issues with
inhaled drug treatments for children.
France-based Rexam Pharma is gearing up to launch a safety add-on
device that fits on to prefilled syringes to help drugmakers comply
with recent legislations designed to prevent needlestick injuries.
Packaging giant Rexam has fixed a radio frequency identification
(RFID) chip in pharmaceutical bottles in response to Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) recommendations to make use of the technology
to track products through the supply...
Rexam has introduced two new desiccant caps - Evipharm &
Secupharm - that use a filled in-line silica gel as a desiccant to
improve shelf life of the drug.
The world's largest glass container manufacturer is considering
hiving off its plastics packaging business as it reviews strategic
options for the division.
A new radio frequency identification (RFID) chip has been developed
by Pliant and IBM that can not only track drug products through the
supply chain but also identify when a product has been tampered
with.
Radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag adoption will be hampered
by a lack of a skilled labour force that is adequately trained to
handle this new technology, research reveals.
US drug packaging manufacturer Brady has bought a Brazilian label
maker in a bid to expand its operations not only in Brazil but
throughout Latin America - an area considered by analysts to have a
great business potential.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided against
restricting the use of drug-eluting cardiac stents after a two-day
investigation into their potential to increase blood clots.
Packaging maker Alcan has announced it will invest $27.5m (€20.7m)
for an expansion project in its US pharma centre to meet the
growing demand for pharmaceutical flexible packaging materials.
A US research company has published a report placing clamshell
style packaging as the forerunner in the burgeoning high visibility
packaging industry, with blister packs also on the increase.
Cardinal Health, the leading contract manufacturer for the
pharmaceutical industry, has announced its plans to sell its drug
manufacturing and packaging unit in order to focus on its
health-care business.
Packaging maker Owens-Illinois (O-I) and RFID provider Impinj say
they have demonstrated 100 per cent reliability of radiofrequency
identification (RFID) for pharmaceuticals in an item-level live
demonstration.
DataLase has revealed a novel labelling tape that it claims is a
cost-effective replacement for print-and-apply labels for outer
case secondary pharma packaging.
Canada's Alcan is selling its New Jersey-based lab equipment
business to private equity company River Associates Investments in
order to focus on its core competencies.
The contract packaging biz is moving from an ad-hoc to a more
strategically determined, long-term approach, as pharma companies
begin to relax in the arms of service providers.
Gerresheimer has announced it will launch a new plastic syringe
range in January to cater for highly-sensitive medications and also
for high-volume injections.