Information Technology

Virtual pilot programs that simulate scenarios can help the pharmaceutical industry address core issues in the implementation of serialization systems that comply with the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act.

MES has already rewarded early adopters by reducing errors; next-generation technology will enable broader data analysis.

Honeywell’s latest release of Experion LX, a distributed control system designed specifically for small- and mid-sized companies, enhances batch, SCADA, and engineering capabilities.

Paperless operations improve efficiency and increase assurance of product quality.

Systec & Solutions' HMI hardware and Werum's PAS-X manufacturing execution system are designed to work together.

The new Kaye Validator AVS combines accurate sensor measurements with all GMP requirements for calibration and traceability.

Serialization systems can share information between manufacturing and business units, supply-chain partners, and the retail point of sale.

Serialization experts will share best practices and practical applications at INTERPHEX 2015.

Advances in process modeling and use of open-architecture control models will lead to more efficient process control methods.

Despite concerns over regulation and data protection, cloud computing is entering the world of pharmaceuticals. There are good reasons why the cloud might suit pharmaceutical companies-greater efficiency, lower costs, the ability to take data in the public domain and mesh it with private data sets-all good reasons to embrace the cloud. But, assuming that the regulatory concerns can be overcome, is the cloud what it appears to be?

Kurt Lumsden, Director, eCDS Client Services at PAREXEL Informatics, discusses the use of interactive response technologies in investigational product expiry management.

Data integrity in the analytical laboratory is an area of increasing focus for regulators such as FDA.

Pharmaceutical Technology spoke with Gloria Gadea-Lopez, associate director of Shire, and Martin Dittmer, PharmaSuite product manager at Rockwell Automation, about how manufacturing execution systems (MES) can improve productivity and the current challenges faced by companies implementing MES systems.

Presenters at the 8th Annual Forum on Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) discuss how a vision and common terminology help companies implement MES globally.

Model-predictive design is applied to solid-dosage processes.

Applying model-predictive methods and a continuous process-control framework to a continuous tablet-manufacturing process.

Industry is moving toward closed-loop control of continuous processing.

Process analytical technology (PAT) is being successfully used to improve understanding and optimize pharmaceutical unit operations, but greater value can be obtained by integrating PAT with overall process control of a continuous manufacturing system. Pharmaceutical Technology spoke with Ivo Backx, manager of business and project development for the pharmaceutical industry at Siemens Industry Automation Division, to gain insight on the issues involved.

PharmTech Europe speaks to Bhaskar Sambasivan from Cognizant to find out more about social media, mobility and cloud computing.

Strategic management of intelligent devices is important in any processing field, and a new standards committee at the International Society of Automation aims to provide direction so that manufacturers can better utilize the devices' capabilities.

New product reviews for July 2012.

With social media receiving increased focus as the pharma industry strives to make the most of new communication technologies, we speak with Cognizant's Bhaskar Sambasivan to find out where pharma is when it comes to social media implementation and what more should be being done.

PharmTech's monthly newsletter, Equipment and Processing Report, reviews the Editor's Picks for the May 2012 edition from Koslow Scientific Company and Vaisala.

Manufacturers seek clear path to develop safe-use approaches for more risky OTC therapies.

My network failed and I had to scrap my batch because my historian did not collect the required data. How do I upgrade the reliability of my network to maintain data continuity if my network fails again?

New product reviews for March 2012.

Guidance offered on how to deal with off-label information requests.

We interview Subhro Mallik from IT firm Infosys about how pharma is responding to the cloud computing phenomenon and what more can be done to realise business benefits.

Implementing a zero-waste strategy is not merely an option, it can be seen as a crucial business imperative.

The US Pharmacopeia (USP) proposes to lower the maximum permissible limits of trace elements in pharmaceuticals and recommends that impurities be measured through automated instrumentation-based methods. The proposed regulations specify inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) and inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES) as the techniques of choice. This article discusses the benefits of ICP–MS and ICP–OES for the accurate detection of trace elements in pharmaceutical products, in compliance with the proposed USP chapters.