Pharmaceutical Technology Europe-06-01-2008

Our oral pharmaceutical product is packaged by a range of contract packaging companies. Adverse properties of the final packaged product from one particular company indicate that the product shelf life is shorter than it should be. It has been suggested that this could be related to gas filling issues. Is this anything that surface analysis could clarify?

When drugs are encapsulated, electrification (the electrostatic charge of the capsule) may sometimes cause problems, such as capsule adhesion during transportation or dispersion of the capsule content in the filling process.

On 7–9 May I attended ERBI's Biopartnering Exchange in Cambridge (UK), an event that brought together national and international entrepreneurs, senior executives and industry experts of the biotechnology sector.

Drug products subjected to degradation because of environmental stresses can be salvaged if proper packaging and protection is provided by sorbents.

Q: You have many years of experience in marketing and business development. What are the most significant changes you have observed in this time?

Once famous for coal and steel, Wales now aims to make its mark in the life sciences sector. The recent BioWales 2008 (UK) conference demonstrated how much the region has progressed, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly government, the EU and the enthusiasm of the Welsh biotech community. The country's bioscience sector, which comprises approximately 200 companies, grew by 18% last year and is now worth £1.3 billion (€1.6 billion) in annual turnover, employing 15–20000 people.

Ranjit Barshikar, GMP/Quality Consultant and former Vice President of Global Quality for Ranbaxy Laboratories analyses the past, present and future of Asia's pharmaceutical industry. Read more...