Celebrations for PSL
UK. Powder Systems Limited (PSL) is celebrating its 21st anniversary. The company designs and builds processes for high potency pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals.
Back in 1989 the business began pioneering pharmaceutical containment with a small team in Liverpool and graduated from a specialist, pharmaceutical processing equipment SME, to a mini-international enterprise with high quality standard products.
Notable achievements include
the Queens Award for Exports, the Duke of Westminster Award, the Inner
City 100 Award and recognition by Liverpool City as Enterprise Champions
as well as winning the Daily Post Regional Business
Award.
“PSL has learnt so much from combining skills and talents from many different regions of the world. We continue to embrace and better understand the changes in the global economy”, says CEO Maurice Pitcher.
PSL employees from across the globe came to share the anniversary with the Lord Mayor at Liverpool Town Hall and were congratulated with certificates and gifts of appreciation. The company has operations in the USA, Czech Republic, France and Japan with future plans for India and South America.
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12:25 21/11/2010
Strengthened presence
China. GEA Pharma Systems, a unit of GEA Process Engineering, has acquired Beijing Sino-German Tianhe Technology (BSGT) in Beijing, a company with a broad competence in freeze drying technology. The move, which strengthens GEA Pharma Systems’ position in China and the Asian Pacific region, is part of a strategic objective to serve the fast growing pharmaceutical freeze drying technology market.
The company will operate under the name
of GEA Lyophil (Beijing) Ltd and will be part of GEA Lyophil, a technology
company in GEA Process Engineering and a global leader in pharmaceutical
freeze drying technology, based in Cologne,
Germany.
BSGT is a successful company with a proven track record in China for supply, commissioning and servicing pharmaceutical freeze drying equipment. Its team has comprehensive experience of the Chinese pharmaceutical market, an established relationship with the local supply chain and an understanding of the commercial opportunities in the region.
Ron Youngs, GEA Pharma Systems’ President and member of the GEA Process Engineering Board explained that the acquisition is in line with the company’s long term objectives as a global leader in pharmaceutical freeze drying technology. “It is essential that we align our production and distribution capabilities precisely with our customers’ needs,” he said.
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11:19 11/11/2010
Office network expands
France. ProSys, key manufacturer of isolators and
containment equipment, is further expanding its network of offices with
the opening of a base in Northern France to serve the European
market.
This follows the establishment of a US office earlier this year, adding to its existing bases in Ireland and the UK.
ProSys is a preferred supplier of global pharma firms, recently completing a number of major containment projects in seed charging, drum filling, reactor charging, liquid handling, dispensing, encapsulation and isolation.
www.prosys.ie
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13:20 22/10/2010
Dynamic change
Russia.
Analysts at Frost & Sullivan have commented on recent statements made by Anand Sharma, India's Commerce and Industry Minister, during a recent visit to Russia, regarding India’s readiness to invest in the Russian pharmaceutical industry, including possible India-Russia joint ventures.
“India is one of the largest manufacturers of generics in the market. At present, Russia is making a list of all the prescribed medicines it needs and Indian and Russian governments are working on a protocol which will stipulate production, manufacturing capabilities and safety standards.” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, Swetha Shantikumar.
During the late 90s and early 2000s, there was strong pharma import activity from India which saw Russia buying out commodities from India, with pharmaceuticals forming a major part of this. Potential cooperation between Russia and India would also seem to be particularly beneficial at a time when Russia is in the midst of pharmaceutical sector reform, known as Pharma 2020, aimed at strengthening domestic production capacities.
Frost
& Sullivan Consulting Analyst, Dominika Grzywinska says that those
pharmaceutical companies
which decide to open their production facilities in the country can count on certain sets of privileges, such as lower taxes, etc. The initiative comes at a time when both have dynamic and fast growing economies in a climate of increasing confidence.
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20:03 23/07/2010
Focus on quality systems
USA. ISPE, the global association of 24,000
pharmaceutical science and manufacturing professionals, together with the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are co-sponsoring an FDA/ISPE
collaboration on Pharmaceutical Quality Systems.
This interactive two-day session takes place on 9 - 10 June at ISPE’s 2010 Washington Conference - Applying Risk-based Approaches, hosted at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC, USA on 7 - 10 June 2010.
As part of the FDA's Pharmaceutical cGMP for the 21st Century Initiative, the FDA, along with industry leaders and regulatory agencies from other countries, have identified key components of a modern pharmaceutical quality system in the ICH Q10 document.
The two-day seminar will provide a special forum for the exchange of information between the FDA and industry and will focus on pharmaceutical quality systems and the implementation of elements that enhance its effectiveness.
ISPE President and CEO Robert P Best
said: “Regulators from around the world have always been very generous in
sharing their knowledge and expertise with ISPE Members and our conference
delegates."
The Washington Conference brings together all levels of pharmaceutical industry professionals to network and benefit from a variety of seminars and training sessions. Subjects on the agenda include critical utilities, process validation, cleaning, GAMP, sustainability and HVAC. Several ISPE guidance documents will also be launched at the event.
www.ISPE.org
* In the EU under Article 6 of Directive 2003/94/EC and Directive 91/412/EEC, manufacturers are obliged to establish and implement an effective pharmaceutical quality assurance system in order to comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The ICH Q10 document provides an example of a pharmaceutical quality system designed for the entire product lifecycle and therefore goes beyond current expectations. ICH Q10 is optional but the view is that its use should facilitate innovation and continual improvement and strengthen the link between pharmaceutical development and manufacturing activities.
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Pharma design course
UK. Freeman Technology is again joining forces with academic experts from Rutgers University and other industry specialists to deliver the latest in a series of courses for the pharmaceutical industry.
Advances in pharmaceutical process design is organised by
Mixing Consultants Inc and sponsored by Freeman Technology, Gericke and
Glatt Air Techniques and takes place from 26 - 28 May 2010 in San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
Each day is dedicated to one of three related themes - powder processing fundamentals, QbD (Quality by Design) methodologies and continuous manufacturing. Delegates can choose to register for the complete course or attend specific days.
Day two sees Tim Freeman, Freeman
Technology’s director of operations, delivering a presentation entitled Measuring and understanding powder flow as part of the QbD methodologies module.
• For further details of the course programme, costs and registration visit http://www.freemantech.co.uk/goto.php?link=10PPD
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10:31 19/04/2010
Pharma survival
UK.
Pharmaceutical survival in the 21st century is a one-day seminar organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers at their London headquarters on 12 May 2010.
It will address the issues surrounding regulatory compliance in the UK pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, which although generally very high is often lacking in manufacturing efficiency. Ever increasing cost pressures have encouraged many companies to move manufacturing operations to countries with lower labour costs. The view is that it doesn’t have to be this way, if established world-class methodologies are applied to pharmaceutical plants.
The organising committee cite many examples where best practice in other industries has been applied to the pharmaceutical sector, and companies that have bitten the bullet have achieved significant improvements in operational efficiency.
The
event therefore offers advice, solutions and best practice to tackle
issues such as excessive lead times, high inventory, inefficient staffing,
poor process control and supply chain reliability. The aim is to benefit
from the lessons of best practice, recognise the signs of success and help
prevent failure.
Delegates will be shown lean manufacturing principles and their application, their benefits and pitfalls, as well as current compliance developments. The seminar also provides a golden opportunity to network with key industry players.
• Contact Gilda Ereira Tel: +44 (0) 20 7973 1317 email: g_ereira@imeche.org
www.imeche.org/events/S1430
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17:46 24/03/2010
Locally based business
India. GEA Pharma Systems, the pharmaceutical processing specialist, has opened a new factory in Vadodara, Gujarat to service the country and provide reduced cost manufacturing of solid dose and liquid pharmaceutical processing equipment for both local and global markets.
The plan is to initially manufacture fluid bed and granulation technology and then extend the scope of production to meet demand. Up until now, manufacturing has been outside India, mainly in Europe. The new plant will provide European quality processing equipment at affordable prices for the growing Indian market.
Navin Lakhanpaul, regional manager for the company in Vadodara, said that the high growth Indian market is price sensitive but susceptible to technology. The factory itself will employ local staff and peripheral equipment will also be sourced locally. This, combined with reduced transportation costs, will reduce equipment prices by around 40 per cent compared with equipment bought from Europe, he added.
The high quality approach also satisfies demand for pharmaceutical equipment produced in India to meet international quality standards. "Not only do our Indian customers want to supply the local market with high-quality products they also want the facilities necessary to sell into Europe and offer manufacturing services to European customers.”
Frans Maas, division director for sales and marketing, said that the new facility is critical to the company’s long-term plans. "The factory in Vadodora is an important development for our company and part of our strategy for sustainable global supply," he explained. The opening closely follows GEA's announcement of two agency agreements with ACE Technologies of Mumbai, for distribution of MODUL™ tablet presses from GEA Courtoy, and pharmaceutical freeze drying technology from GEA Lyophil throughout India.
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10:25 23/03/2010
