Trends To Expect At Pharma EXPO

By Jerry Martin, pharmaceutical and life sciences consultant to PMMI

Single-use Components, Track & Trace, and Sophisticated Packaging Solutions

The persistence of drug counterfeiters and shifting industry needs present significant challenges to pharmaceutical manufacturers. The global counterfeit drug market derives $75 billion in revenue, according  to the “2016 Brand Protection and Product Traceability Report” soon to be released by PMMI, The Association of Packaging and Processing Technologies. This issue will continue to drive preventative regulations around the world, adding to the ever-growing list of responsibilities of industry manufacturers. Pharmaceutical processors must also rise to the challenge of other market trends and operational initiatives. An aging U.S. population and demands of pharmacy and medical professionals who must work mistake-free in fast-paced environments are expanding the need for user-friendly packaging and accuracy-enhancing dosing. Additionally, there are the constant pressures to reduce expenses and waste while increasing efficiency and patient safety.

Undoubtedly, all of these hurdles present a tall order, but this year’s Pharma EXPO (McCormick Place, Chicago; Nov. 6 – 9, 2016), co-produced by PMMI and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), will provide a resource for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical device manufacturers to find solutions to address these challenges while remaining competitive. To help attendees make the most of their time on the show floor, here is a quick overview of the trends to know before you go.

Anti-counterfeiting and Track and Trace Technology

As referenced in PMMI’s report, 75 percent of the world’s prescription medications will be regulated in the fight against criminal opportunity by late 2018. This movement is driven by the complexity of the global supply chain, which can leave doors open to counterfeiters. According to the study, a single pill can pass through 12 countries during manufacturing, creating plenty of opportunities for counterfeiting. As a result, demand for anti-counterfeiting solutions is predicted to grow at a CAGR ranging from 12.8 percent to 16.1 percent over the next five years.

However, these solutions will go far beyond the idea of a simple fix, creating added layers of supply chain security. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are scrutinizing each stage of their supply chain from incoming materials to primary and secondary packaging all the way through palletizing and transportation. The use of 1D barcoding throughout each of these stages was the most popular solution employed by respondents to PMMI’s study. The report also showed that 30 percent used temperature sensors at the palletizing and transportation stages, and the use of pallet tags, RFID tags and smart inks may grow as these technologies become more accessible.

For more information, see PMMI’s infographic on counterfeiting.

Single-Use and Continuous Manufacturing

After two decades of momentum in adoption, single-use technologies are shifting from applications confined to development and pilot scale biotech drug substance operations and clinical batch production to wider industry use. The reason? Single-use technologies reduce manufacturing costs by reducing the time and labor associated with cleaning validation steps, limit contamination risks, and minimize capital costs and energy requirements. Though single-use systems create solid waste, they can also serve as high-energy clean-burning fuel for energy production, recycling the energy from their natural gas source material. The reuse of traditional stainless steel equipment produces more carbon than the manufacture and disposal of single-use systems. This is because the adoption of single-use parts eliminates steps in cleaning and resterilization, which require manufacturers to generate steam for “water for injection” (WFI) applications – particularly for steam-in-place piping. Additionally, manufacturers avoid the sourcing and disposing of cleaning solutions with the use of single-use solutions.

Single-use systems also complement continuous manufacturing practices for greater overall efficiency. An asset in continuous monitoring, continuous manufacturing enables companies to detect problems or abnormalities in real time, and potentially improves the overall quality of biotherapies. For this reason, the FDA has advocated for the adoption of continuous practices in efforts to improve safety margins and drug quality assurance. By keeping production within compliance of set limits, continuous drug manufacturing also reduces variability between individual batches and, by extension, the risk of adverse events with patients.

Packaging for Patient Safety and Convenience

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the number of baby boomers at 76.4 million as of 2014. While still outnumbered by millennials, this total represents a significant chunk of the country’s population that is entering the fall of their lives, requiring some accommodations from pharmaceutical manufacturers. These may include simple, effective delivery mechanisms to ensure patient compliance with medication instructions. Closures that are both tamper-proof and easy for seniors to open will be another important feature for solid dosage manufacturers to implement into packaging.

Fast-paced hospital environments with tired nurses and doctors working long shifts can lead to human errors which put patients at risk. The good news is that manufacturing and filling technologies are improving to meet increasing demand for re-filled syringes. Tablet handling equipment is also advancing to improve dosing accuracy while helping manufacturers reduce expensive product waste.

A Well-rounded Resource

Pharma EXPO will be co-located with PACK EXPO International 2016. Together, the shows will feature more than 2,500 exhibitors and draw 50,000 attendees.  Pharma EXPO exhibitors will cover a wide range of solutions, including technologies for anti-counterfeiting, track-and-trace, cleaning and sanitation, commissioning and qualification, controls and robotics, dosing, labeling, validation and processing and packaging equipment. In addition to housing 250+ suppliers of processing and packaging technologies, Pharma EXPO will present two avenues for education. The first is the Innovation Stage, offering free and convenient access to half-hour sessions on best practices and solutions. The second is the Pharma EXPO Conference Program. Organized by ISPE, the conference will be held from Nov. 7-9 and provide three days of 50-minute sessions, with each day dedicated to a particular subject: manufacturing operations, compliance trends and pharmaceutical packaging. In addition to these features, attendees will have the benefit of access to PACK EXPO International, from which to draw inspiration from other industries. (For more information, see PMMI’s infographic Planning For PACK EXPO International & Pharma EXPO 2016.)

Visit www.pharmaexpo.com to register for Pharma EXPO 2016 and view the full schedule of sessions for the Pharma EXPO Conference Program and the Innovation Stage. The registration cost for PACK EXPO and Pharma EXPO is $100, and provides access to the exhibit hall as well as all Innovation Stage sessions. The Pharma EXPO conference fees are priced at $140 for one day, $220 for two days and $500 for access to the full three-day conference. Registration grants attendees access to both Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO International 2016.

About PMMI

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, represents the voice of more than 750 North American manufacturers of equipment, components and materials for processing and packaging. We work to advance a variety of industries by connecting consumer goods companies with manufacturing solutions through the world-class AnchorPACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows, leading trade media and a wide range of resources to empower our members. The PACK EXPO trade shows unite the world of processing and packaging to advance the industries they serve: PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Pharma EXPO, PACK EXPO East, EXPO PACK México, EXPO PACK Guadalajara and ProFood Tech, launching in April 2017. AnchorPMMI Media Group connects manufacturers to the latest solutions, trends and innovations in processing and packaging year-round through brands including Packaging World, Automation World, Healthcare Packaging, Contract Packaging, ProFood World and Packaging + Processing OEM. AnchorPMMI Business Drivers assist members in pursuing operational excellence through workforce development initiatives, deliver actionable business intelligence on economic, market and industry trends to support members' growth strategies, and actively connect the supply chain throughout the year.

Learn more at PMMI.org and PACKEXPO.com and PMMIMediaGroup.com.

SOURCE: PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies