From the Editors' Desk

  • FDA has issued a warning to healthcare providers about counterfeit surgical mesh being distributed in the United States under the C. R. Bard/Davol brand name. To date, investigations have identified four product sizes as counterfeit flat sheet polypropylene surgical mesh:

  • CCL Industries Inc. announced today that it has acquired Purbrick Ltd, a privately held company based in Melbourne, Australia. Purbrick supplies patient information leaflets and pressure-sensitive labels to global pharmaceutical customers located in Australia.

  • Chesapeake (Bucks, United Kingdom) is offering its customers in healthcare and other sectors a paperboard concept that can provide a 3-D quality to any package. Impressions is formed by using a low-energy process for forming a paperboard material into distinctive shapes.

    This exciting development can help promote a brand through representations of tactile bubbles on a tube to replicating the distinctive shape of a bottle or jar. Impressions can also be formed into a pod to hold a liquid or paste, offering a more environmentally responsible alternative to plastic packaging.

  • Automated Packaging Systems (Streetsboro, OH) has announced the promotion of Cliff Brehm to president and chief operating officer. Brehm will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the global business and will manage the strategic direction of the company. Brehm has held the position of chief operating officer since 2008, with responsibility for all domestic operations. Prior to that, Brehm was executive vice president of sales and marketing. He will report to the founders of the company, Hershey Lerner, chairman, and Bernie Lerner, CEO.

  • Unilife Corporation announced it has signed an exclusive five-year agreement with Stason Pharmaceuticals Inc. to market the Unitract 1mL safety syringe in Japan, China, and Taiwan.  Stason's Taiwan-based strategic alliance affiliate, Standard Chem. and Pharm. Co., LTD will act as the primary distributor of the product within these designated territories.