Manufacturing

Editors' Picks of Pharmaceutical Science & Technology Innovations

Brief pharmaceutical news items for May 2008.

Regulators face demands to improve postmarket surveillance and meet review deadlines.

INTERPHEX 2008 offered visitors novel experiences and many stimulating sessions.

WFI system deficiencies and damp tax records cause problems for two plants

According to the latest figures from IMS Health, Inc., Japan's pharmaceutical market is expected to grow 1–2% this year compared to global industry growth expectations of 5–6%.

Recent advances in SEM, particularly the incorporation of automation and software, have made simpler, lower-end SEM instruments easy to operate and have improved the capabilities of larger, sophisticated instruments.

The current trend within the pharmaceutical industry toward more efficient development, manufacturing, and specification is fueling demand for analytical tools that provide highly relevant information. Effective powder characterization has a valuable role to play.

Paul Sheskey of Dow Chemical provides an update on foam granulation technology.

The adequate absorption and transport of drugs in the body is part of optimal therapy. Drug administration perorally is easy, common and traditional, but occasionally alternative routes are required.

Inspecting punches and dies can be time-consuming and costly for tablet manufacturers. Advances in technology, however, have greatly improved in-process inspections. The author examines improvements in equipment and computer software for in-process tool inspections.

Process designs and control strategies can be improved by adopting a risk-based approach to product quality. The author describes how this approach can be applied to spray-drying operations.

When Pharmaceutical Technology Europe was established 20 years ago, PAT was not a hot topic in the industry. It was started in 2002 by FDA to modernize pharmaceutical manufacturing and increase the efficiency of manufacturing processes.

Practical guidance on how to handle validation failures cannot be found in the existing literature because they are not supposed to happen.

Traditional tablet presses do not measure tablets' tensile strength, yet this characteristic strongly influences tablet quality. The author describes a compression technique that accounts for tensile strength and produces tablets with consistent weight and disintegration time.

Congress is taking on the issue of inspection of foreign drug-manufacturing facilities as it began hearings on a discussion draft of the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2008.

Also, Genzyme to build R&D center in Beijing, Noven Pharmaceuticals appoints Peter C. Brandt president and CEO, more...

Problems associated with contamination of heparin products continue after worldwide recalls in March in the United States, Italy, France, and Denmark.

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology described a fast method to detect counterfeit "Tamiflu," Roche's drug for preventing and treating bird flu.

The US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee is proposing legislation to address the funding and authority of the US Food and Drug Administration in regulating the safety of the country's drug supply.

Ell Lilly plans to streamline a portion of its manufacturing operations in Indianapolis.

Also, GSK expands in Ireland, executive appointments at ProGenTech, more...

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a final guidance last week regarding investigational new drug applications for human gene therapy.

A manufacturing line can be improved if technology transfer is implemented thoughtfully. Effective technology transfer helps to provide process efficiency and control and maintain product quality.