Pharma Capsules

Milestones

Avéma Names New Vice-President

Avéma Pharma Solutions (Miami, FL), a provider of oral-dosage development and manufacturing of over-the-counter pharmaceutical and nutritional products, named Thomas M. Salus vice-president of contract services. Salus's responsibilities will include managing and expanding sales of the contract manufacturing and packaging services provided by Avéma and PL Developments (Westbury, NY), its parent company. Salus's past industry experience includes sales and marketing positions at Applied Analytical Industries (Wilmington, NC), Banner Pharmacaps (High Point, NC), Glatt Pharmaceutical Services (Ramsey, NJ), and Norwich Pharmaceuticals (Norwich, NY).

Admix Updates its Website

Admix (Manchester, NH), vendor of stainless-steel mixing equipment, launched an updated and streamlined interactive website (www.admix.com). The new site allows users easy access to information about advanced mixing technologies. The site is designed for easy navigation and intended to help users find the right mixer according to their industry, equipment, ingredient, or application.

Admix specializes in the manufacture of sanitary high-speed dispersers, high-shear emulsifiers, inline emulsifiers and wet mills, sanitary static mixers and blenders, low-speed stainless batch mixers, and vacuum-conveying and powder-delivery mix stations. The company has been in business for 20 years.

Midas Adds New Executive

Midas Pharmaceuticals (Ingelheim, Germany) added Robert Klehr as vice-president of business development. Klehr will promote Midas Pharmaceuticals's finished dosage-form partnerships to current and prospective clients. He will be based in the company's Parsippany, New Jersey, office. Klehr previously held business development positions with Norwich Pharmaceuticals, DPT Laboratories, and Patheon Inc.

Established in 1988, Midas Pharmaceuticals is a privately held company. Midas brings together partners and clients to meet their needs for active ingredients, drug development, and finished dosage forms.

Sartorius Moves to New Headquarters

Sartorius Stedim North America (Bohemia, NY) moved its corporate offices from Edgewood, New York, to a new, 22,000-ft² office facility in Bohemia, New York. The building now accommodates the company's management, administration, sales and marketing, customer service, and technical service departments. In addition, the building houses a new applications laboratory, designed primarily for training and testing. The company's phone, fax, and email addresses remain the same.

A separate 12,500-ft² service and training facility now houses Sartorius Mechatronics. The building also serves as a storage location for both the Mechatronics and Biotech sales and marketing groups. The new buildings offer more room for the company's offices and are easier for employees and clients to reach.

Q&A with

Thomas H. Silberg, president and chief executive officer of APP Pharmaceuticals

PharmTech:

What is the biggest industry challenge you're now facing?

Thomas H. Silberg, president and chief executive officer of APP Pharmaceuticals

Silberg:

One of the ongoing challenges any manufacturer faces is ensuring the quality and safety of its products and the integrity of its supply chain. In 2008, a massive recall of heparin products by one US manufacturer called into question the safety of all heparin products. While APP implemented safety measures throughout its entire supply chain, and its heparin is manufactured with quality and integrity, we still needed to prove to the market that our heparin was safe. To maintain confidence in APP's heparin, we worked closely with federal agencies and healthcare professionals to carry out testing and quality and integrity measures throughout all stages of its manufacturing process. As part of our patient-safety initiatives, we enhanced the product's labeling and unit-of-use barcodes to help healthcare professionals reduce medication errors.

PharmTech:

Do you see a new industry trend emerging?

Silberg:

Recently, I've seen a trend toward documenting product integrity and safety. I also see an increased focus on packaging and labeling, which contribute to patient safety. The US Food and Drug Administration is under intense scrutiny to ensure all products for the US market are safe. In the future, I believe we will see additional scrutiny of products imported from overseas and the implementation of additional safety measures. Transparency in manufacturing and business practices is another trend that is becoming a requirement for pharmaceutical companies. I also see movement toward small changes in formulation for drug delivery that will make products easier and safer to use.

PharmTech:

What is the most common demand your clients are currently making of you?

Silberg:

They want to make sure that the products are safe, that our supply chain is secure, and that they have access to the products when they need them. Our customers also demand that products be delivered quickly and be packaged in a manner that helps prevent medication errors. Our clients also want us to play a role in patient safety, and that is why we recently launched an educational section on our website (www.apppharma.com) entitled "Working Together for Patient Safety."