When seeking to increase productivity, companies must consider worker–machine and worker–materials interactions. These factors are easy to overlook, but they affect workers' performance and health and a company's bottom line.

Packaging processes, like other pharmaceutical operations, benefit from the speed and repeatability that automation brings. Robotics in particular provide flexibility and accuracy. In some packaging applications such as carton loading, robotics also perform more efficiently than dedicated machines.

This year, INTERPHEX will take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 26?28. Equipment and Processing Report asked RJ Palermo, industry vice-president of Reed Life Sciences and INTERPHEX, to share his thoughts and expectations about the upcoming event.

The US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (ChP) designed to strengthen the quality of medicine and foods in the United States and China.

The US House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security approved legislation last week that mandates inherently safer technologies (IST) as part of chemical-site security standards, a move that was opposed by the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association.

Concerns over contaminated heparin product worsened as US officials announced dialysis patients in Germany have fallen ill after using a different brand of the blood thinner than was already being recalled.

Also, PDL BioPharma will no longer pursue sale of the company, executives resign from Topigen Pharmaceuticals, more...

Much to the surprise of most close observers of the Food and Drug Administration, Janet Woodcock agreed last month to resume control of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Eli Lilly terminated the development of its inhaled insulin product AIR, a diabetes treatment that had been in Phase III clinical trials.

Also, Millipore plans to open Singapore facility, Michael J. Simms joins Alexza Pharmaceuticals, more...

Merck & Co. advised AstraZeneca (London) that it will not exercise its option to sell its interest in certain AstraZeneca non-proton pump inhibitor (non-PPI) products this year.

With another potential "made-in-China" crisis looming over the recall of heparin, critics and the media seem to be waiting in line to take another jab at the US Food and Drug Administration.

Leveraging its global infrastructure, SAFC Supply Solution pilots a new external sourcing program.

Draft federal legislation that would require high-risk chemical facilities to use inherently safer technology for reducing their risk may present potential problems for custom and batch manufacturers supplying the pharmaceutical industry.

After two centuries, there's no reason to maintain two tablet compression tooling standards.

A. Nair discusses patent disputes in India.

If not properly monitored, filters and plastic bags can keep back more than they should.

The United States Pharmacopeia emphasizes mechanical calibration and a performance test to esnure integrity of the dissolution procedure.

New research and ideas for March 2008

SAFC is delivering on its plan for double-digit annual growth by increasing its businesses through organic growth and targeted technology acquisitions.

Show blasts off this month in Philadelphia with more suppliers, new trends, and real-world solutions.

A preview of some product enhancements and launches for Interphex 2008, the large trade show being held Mar. 26–28 in Philadelphia.

A news roundup for March 2008.

Brief pharmaceutical news items for March 2008.

Also, Genmab will acquire PDL Pharma's Minnesota manufacturing facility, DSM Pharmaceuticals appointed Hans Engels president and business unit director, more...

The US Patent and Trademark Office rejected the patentability of claims of a patent by Genentech that related to certain methods used to make antibodies and antibody fragments by recombinant DNA.

Merck Capital Ventures, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., has invested $1.5 million to expand its service laboratory. The transaction with NanoImaging Services will add high-resolution, three-dimensional transmission electron microscope (TEM) capability, which allows biopharmaceutical researchers to see complex macromolecular structures they create with resolution as high as one nanometer.

APP Pharmaceuticals will boost manufacturing of therapeutic multidose vials of heparin.