Supply Chain

Research by Pew Charitable Trust and ISPE suggests that inability to forecast internal demand, and poor partner alignment are among the reasons for drug shortages

Longer packouts are becoming the rule, as logistics service providers and sponsors gain experience planning logistics for clinical trials involving novel therapies.

An example of a new cold chain temperature-controlled shipping technology is Cocoon, which was commercialized in November 2016 and designed for use with pallet-sized shippers.

Cold-chain requirements and the tight logistical windows needed for cell and gene therapies demand a focus on early communication and risk mitigation.

Andrea Zobel, senior director of product management, clinical trial supply, and logistics at PAREXEL International, examines key issues and questions that sponsors and contract partners must address.

Many pharmaceutical manufacturers were late in involving contract partners in serialization efforts. Are you ready, and are you working with the right partner?

As the date for implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act approaches, bio/pharma companies and contractors should focus on key areas.

Currently, pharmaceutical manufacturers are said to waste $25 billion on supply chain inefficiencies. Technology offers a way to achieve transparency and results.

Supply chain risk monitoring is crucial for any company doing business today, and it doesn’t have to be expensive.

A new report says that failure to account for rebates, discounts, and price concessions leads to an “overstatement of payments realized by manufacturers” in most annual industry drug spend reports.

B&W Tek’s director of Market and Customer Development, Katherine A. Bakeev, PhD, discusses analysis of pharmaceutical raw materials and the benefits of using handheld Raman spectrometers.

TraceLink’s first Drug Supply, Safety and Traceability Report suggests that 19% of pharma companies, 11% of distributors, and 9% of dispensers still haven’t begun to address lot-level serialization requirements. Only 20% say their CMOs will be ready for the November 2017 deadline.

Moisture uptake during the end-to-end manufacturing process and supply chain can affect product quality. Simulation tools based on mechanistic models help define storage and handling requirements for oral solid-dosage drugs.

The two companies have entered into an agreement to provide Suzeken with access to AmerisourceBergen’s Cubixx inventory solution.

Advances in cloud-based IT and user interfaces make it easier to collaborate, but a strong foundation, based on knowledge of data and risk management principles, is needed first.

Are investigations supporting or hindering performance excellence?

PDA’s first aging facilities survey suggests that post-approval changes play a major part in slowing pharmaceutical industry investment in new technology.

In InstantGMP, cloud-based IT and an approach grounded in cGMPs, brings more of the power of paperless recordkeeping to manufacturers, at a fraction of the cost.

Could greater market transparency improve pharmaceutical quality and regulatory compliance?

Ensuring that materials have optimal critical quality attributes for the required formulations is crucial.

Pressures to accelerate current and next-gen therapies are challenging traditional microbiological testing models.

GS1 US published new guidelines in preparation for the serialization and traceability requirements associated with DSCSA.

UPS entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Marken, a provider of supply-chain solutions for the life-science industry.

The pharmaceutical industry has weathered its share of “black swan” events.

Vendor selection and materials testing are complex enough, but in today’s volatile environment, risk mapping and monitoring are also crucial.