To help the pharmaceutical industry automate proofreading, Global Vision will be giving live demonstrations at Booth D31 at Pharmapack 2010 of solutions that can catch a multitude of errors, including Braille errors, on pharmaceutical packaging.
On display will be Docu-Proof, which automatically compares files for textual differences. It can be used to inspect contracts, publications, artwork, inserts, and manuscripts. The software can compare files in different formats, which allows users to verify inserts or other types of artwork to unformatted text files.
Also at the show will be Digital-Page, which compares both graphical and textual elements between files of various image formats. Detailed accountability is attainable with a reporting feature that documents all changes, thereby decreasing the chances of errors. Digital-Page can detect color differences, font changes, location changes, and dropped or added text.
With the a fast-approaching European mandate for Braille on medical cartons, Global Vision has also integrated Braille inspection capabilities into all its solutions and has collaborated with a top international pharmaceutical company to develop a system for accurately measuring dot height and width.
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Catalent Pharma Solutions, exhibiting in Booth A17, has announced that its commercial packaging facility in Corby, United Kingdom, received a High Commendation recognition in the Judge’s Special Award category, in the recently announced “2009 Best Factory Awards.” The Corby facility was nominated in several categories, including “Best Process Factory” and “Overall Best UK Factory.” The Corby, UK, business, acquired in 2001 from Astra Pharmaceuticals, provides outsourced healthcare packaging services for the United Kingdom and Europe.
The awards evaluation highlighted Catalent’s ability to quickly introduce new customer products from the site. This was recently demonstrated by a packaging launch involving GlaxoSmithKline’s anti-viral product Relenza, which has been recommended by a number of global health authorities for treatment of H1N1 influenza. The Corby team moved from preliminary discussion through design, implementation, validation, and into full production in just twelve weeks, helping GlaxoSmithKline meet increasing demand for the product.
Steve Facer, general manager of Catalent’s Corby site, said, “The rigorous assessment process for the awards have provided us a useful means to evaluate the progress we’ve made through our focus on continuous improvement. The High Commendation we received shows how far we’ve come, and is a testament to the commitment and effort of everyone on the Corby team.”
“Catalent is several years into its lean manufacturing journey, with several hundred Kaizen events completed and more than a thousand employees trained in lean and six sigma principles,” said Steve Leonard, Catalent’s Senior Vice President of Operations. “The team at Corby has embraced the principles of continuous improvement and operational excellence, as recognized by the commendation, and has translated those operating principles to real value for our customers and for their patients.”
In addition, Catalent announced that its integrated dose form development, manufacturing, and packaging facility in Schorndorf, Germany, has successfully completed an FDA inspection. This inspection, triggered by preapproval inspection requirements for two separate products, resulted in three minor observations on FDA Form 483. The Schorndorf facility currently produces products approved by other regulators including those in Germany, Brazil, and Taiwan.
Catalent’s Schorndorf business, originally founded in 1973, provides formulation and development services, clinical and commercial manufacturing for oral tablet and capsules, powders and other dose forms. The business also provides clinical and commercial packaging, clinical supply chain management services, and integrated product development and commercial supply chain solutions for products in these dosage forms.
Sharon Johnson, Catalent’s Executive Vice President of Quality, said, “The success of this inspection again demonstrates Catalent’s operational performance, depth of regulatory expertise, track record of quality and commitment to excellence. We are pleased to offer our customers added flexibility in their supply chain options for products coming to the United States.”
The Gerresheimer Group, exhibiting in Booth A3 at Phamapack, has expanded its production of pharmaceutical plastic packaging and drug-delivery systems.
“Plastics are increasingly gaining in importance within our highly specialized service portfolio for the international pharmaceutical industry,” says Gerresheimer AG CEO Axel Herberg. “The pharmaceutical plastic business has meanwhile become the division with the highest growth rate, which we are continuing to expand systematically.”
The company has opened a new production center for pharmaceutical plastic packaging in Spain and a new research and development center for medical plastic systems in the
Peachtree City, Georgia, USA.
Gerresheimer calls the new plant in Masalavés in Spain (region of Valencia) the biggest production center of its kind in Southern Europe. It will produce pharmaceutical bottles and multifunctional dosage and closure systems for such products as eye drops, contact lens care products, nose sprays, and tablets.
The new U.S. center is part of an upgrade to an existing location that previously only handled manufacturing. In the American market the Group now has facilities covering complete product and process development comparable to those only available in Europe. Products supported in this field include highly developed inhalation systems for the treatment of respiratory diseases as well as insulin pen systems, skin-prick aids, and lancets for the diabetes sector.
