Navigating the Supply Chain in Fine Chemicals

Keeping pace with the changing market, regulatory, and technical requirements of the fine and custom chemical sector is an important consideration for bio/pharmaceutical companies and their suppliers. Key issues relating to the supply, sourcing, and manufacture of fine and custom chemicals will be addressed at a symposium at Chemspec USA, an exhibition of fine, custom, and specialty chemicals producers, which will be held May 3–5, 2011, in Philadelphia. The full-day symposium will be held May 3, beginning at 9:30 AM, and will feature industry experts discussing the trends and issues facing the fine, custom, and specialty chemical sectors. Additionally Rx-360, the international pharmaceutical supply chain consortium, will hold an open meeting along Chemspec USA on May 5, and a full-day conference on formulation science and technology will be held on May 4.

Chemspec USA symposium

The symposium at Chemspec USA will open with a plenary session with presentations by leading CEOs in the fine, custom, and specialty chemical sectors. Speaking at this session will be Joe Carleone, CEO of AMPAC, parent company to AMPAC Fine Chemicals, Craig Rogerson, CEO of Chemtura, and Jerome Peribere, CEO of Dow Advanced Materials. Reflecting the increased emphasis on biopharmaceutical development and other biochemical-based development, the symposium also will feature a session on biotechnology and bio-based chemicals. Speakers from Lonza Bioscience, Rennovia (a company specializing in catalyst technology for producing renewable bio-based chemicals) as well as representatives from the biotechnology organizations, BioNJ, Pennsylvania Bio, the Delaware Bioscience Association, and MichBio, will offer input.

The future of the chemical enterprise for life-science markets (pharmaceutical and crop protection) and overall chemical markets also will be examined. Moderating the panel will be Magid Abou-Gharbia, PhD, former senior vice-president of Wyeth and current head of chemical and screening processes with Temple University, School of Pharmacy, as dean for research, professor of medicinal chemistry, and director of the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research. Panelists offering input on the future of the chemical enterprise include the following; Paul Anderson, PhD, former president of the American Chemical Society and former senior vice-president for chemical and physical sciences at DuPont–Merck Pharmaceuticals; John LaMattina, PhD, former senior vice-president at Pfizer and former president of Pfizer Global Research & Development and now a director of Human Genome Sciences as well as a senior partner at PureTech Ventures; and Pat Confalone, PhD, vice-president of global R&D for DuPont Crop Protection.

Financial factors influencing the market for fine, custom, and specialty chemicals will be discussed as well. Peter Young, CEO of Young & Partners, will discuss merger and acquisition activity and related trends. Also, financial analysts from Venture Well, CMEA Capital, Forge Partners, Commons Capital, and Angel Fund, will examine trends in venture capital and related issues.

The key trends in supply-chain management will be examined by Cathy Budd, supply chain director of Dow Builing Solutions, and Paul Brouillard, director of global accounts for Spectrum Chemicals and Laboratory Products. Also Guy Villax, CEO of Hovione and board member of the European Fine Chemicals Group and the Rx-360 Consortium will examine key regulatory issues in the fine-chemicals supply chain.

The symposium also will feature a panel discussion on green chemistry. Panelists include: Martha Murray, director of EH&S at AMPAC Fine Chemicals; John Warner, president and chief technology officer for the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry; Catherine Hunt, Ph.D, R&D director of innovation sourcing and sustainable technology at Dow Chemical; Michael Lefenfeld, president and CEO of SiGNa Chemistry; and R.P. (Skip) Volante, vice-president and global leader process chemistry at Merck Research Laboratories.

Details of the Chemspec USA symposium may be found .

Rx-360 Consortium conference

Also, the Rx-360 Consortium will hold an open meeting at Chemspec USA. Rx-360, incorporated in 2009, aims to develop and implement a global quality system to help members ensure product quality and authenticity throughout their supply chains to enhance drug safety. Guy Villax, CEO of Hovione and Rx-360 board moderator, will moderate the meeting. Panelists include current Rx-360 chair, Lynne Byers of GlaxoSmithKline, and representatives from Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Baxter, who will provide a review of Rx-360 initiatives. Rick Friedman, director of the Division of Manufacturing and Product Quality, Office of Compliance, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at FDA, will provide FDA's view on the supply chain, including how Rx-360-type initiatives contribute to a safer supply chain and help support the meeting of regulatory obligations.

Details of the Rx-360 Consortium meeting may be found .

Formulation Science and Technology Day

Also, on May 4, the Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network, based in Manchester, UK, will host a full-day of seminars and workshops on the latest in formulation science and technology. Presentations from specialists in their fields will explore the importance of formulation, new business challenges/opportunities, and approaches to collaboration and open innovation. There will also be a showcase of the latest technologies and associated research and development expertise and also several facilitated sessions to stimulate ongoing international collaborations. Presentations will examine related work in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, home and personal-care products, coatings, inks, and dyes. Panelists include representatives from Procter & Gamble, Dow Chemical, AkzoNobel, Reckitt Benckiser, and academia.

Details of the Formulation Science and Technology Day may be found .