Industry News

A new report sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association sees potential savings of up to $5 billion in California's Medicaid program in "upgrading management of drug benefits." Prepared by The Menges Group, the report finds that such savings could be realized while maintaining benefit access and quality should "California and other state Medicaid programs .

SteriPack USA, which opened its first U.S. medical packaging converting facility in Lakeland, FL, last year, has received the “Governor’s Business Ambassador Award” from Florida Governor Rick Scott.

SteriPack USA was recognized for "exceeding commitments in job creation," the company reported in a press release, and it "will seek further employment in the near future."

Today’s pharmaceuticals are increasingly being delivered via novel routes, and many are designed for patients to use when treating themselves. “Drug products are undergoing design revisions, giving changing patient populations user-friendly options,” explains Don Singer, Global Lead Quality Manager, Microbiology R&D, GlaxoSmithKline. “It is not just pills and tablets any more. We are seeing many inhalable and intranasal products, and parenterals are no longer just delivered directly by standard syringes and from vials, especially in the oncology field.

Pfizer has selected Global Vision as its proofreading technology solution provider, the supplier reported today in a statement. Specifically, Global Vision’s text, artwork, print, and bar code inspection technologies were selected by Pfizer for worldwide deployment.

FDA is reporting on its Web site that Bimeda-MTC Animal Health Inc. is voluntarily recalling the following injectable fluids: one lot of Calcium Gluconate, one lot of Dextrose 50%, and one lot of Hypertonic Saline. The recalls are "precautionary," reports the agency, "because of departures from customary sterility procedures."

The Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) has approved TUV Rheinland of North America as a third-party auditing body for the TAPA Air Cargo Security Standards (TACSS) certification. TACSS certification helps ensure the minimum standards for safe and secure transportation of air cargo conveyed on and off airports and airport-associated facilities, TUV Rheinland reported in a press release.

Pharma serialization provider Systech International is partnering with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a provider of IT services and business solutions, to offer life sciences companies "an effective and economic means of implementing serialization programs," it reported in a statement. 

Solvay and INEOS have signed a letter of intent to combine their European chlorvinyls activities in a proposed 50-50 joint venture, they report in a press release. The partnership would position the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer among the top three worldwide and employ around 5,650 employees in 9 countries. RusVinyl, Solvay's Russian joint venture in chlorvinyls with Sibur, is not part of the transaction.