All articles by chris cox
chris cox
Lethal injection: the issues in sterility assurance
Due to a recent contamination incident, sterilised and aseptically prepared products – specifically contract manufacture of injectable products – have come under increased scrutiny. Peter Murray, former quality director at GlaxoSmithKline, speaks to World Pharmaceutical Frontiers about potential pitfalls in sterility assurance.
The strongest link: ensuring product security in the supply chain
Securing your product at every stage, from manufacturing through to distribution, is an essential part of supply chain management – not least because counterfeiters are keen to target the pharmaceutical industry. Preserving patient safety and brand reputation is a top priority, so the industry has reacted by developing a wealth of technologies to improve tracking and tracing. Jim Banks talks to Merck’s Gianpiero Lorusso about how technology, regulation and good practices protect pharma products.
A visible difference: protecting the cold chain
Increased vigilance at all points of the complex pharmaceutical supply chain is essential to protect the integrity of the product and the end-user. Val Petursson of Actavis outlines the risks, and reveals how technological advances and industry best practice are combining to protect the global cold chain.
Erase rubber risk
Rubber has become an indispensable material in the manufacture of packaging components for pharma products as the design of elastomeric seals and stoppers continues to evolve. Nevertheless, concerns remain about leaching or migration of the material into drugs. World Pharmaceutical Frontiers spoke to Diane Paskiet of West Pharmaceutical Services about how to identify, analyse and mitigate these risks.
The game changers: WPF awards 2013
2013 has been a challenging year for the life sciences. As pharma firms continue to deal with tightened budgets and aging patents, it is clear that the sector has turned a corner and cannot go back. However, this has not stopped strong leaders turning tricky circumstances to their advantage. How have these pioneers shaped the pharmaceutical arena over the past 12 months, and what changes are they spearheading across the industry at large? Here, the World Pharmaceutical Frontiers Awards highlight the eight most influential people making waves in legislation, philanthropy, business and science.
Designs on packaging sustainability
The concept of sustainability has been around for many years now and is familiar to every industry, but in the pharmaceutical sector it can be difficult to introduce green practices because of the strict regulatory regime. Jim Banks talks to Biocodex’s David Daroux about why adopting sustainable packaging concepts makes good business sense.
A good deal better: pharmaceutical mergers and acquisitions
The global pharmaceutical sector continues to witness significant mergers and acquisitions activity, with 2,578 deals worth an estimated $109 billion already completed in 2013. Adefemi Adenuga, industry healthcare dynamics analyst at GlobalData, reports.
Future perfect: identity security in global collaboration
It helps to have an idea of the future before it arrives, along with the know-how to seamlessly link emerging technologies. Mollie Shields-Uehling, president and CEO of the SAFE-BioPharma Association, explains how standardised identity software will improve global collaboration.
Online application
Marketing authorisation applications are becoming larger and increasingly complicated, and the switch from paper to electronic dossiers in recent years has added to the overall complexity of the process. GlaxoSmithKline’s Alastair Nixon examines how the electronic common technical document’s implementation as a global standard affects verification on a regional level.
The complete guide through the pharma product chain
There needs to exist a synergy between process validation and quality by design. Peter Amanatides, vice-president of quality assurance and quality control at Noven Pharmaceuticals, looks at the importance of regulation and guidance throughout the pharma product chain.