Serialisation, combination products, emerging markets, outsourcing, TVF and adherence identified as the key themes in drug delivery and packaging for 2016
Pharmapack Europe (#pharmapackeu), organised by UBM EMEA, has identified several key trends pharma and supply side companies, operating in drug delivery and packaging, must address in 2016. The annual Pharmapack event will take place next month in Paris (February 10-11, 2016) at which the leading industry analysts, executives and companies will gather to learn and discuss the latest issues set to effect the industry.
Chief amongst industry thoughts in 2016 will be the ongoing implementation of track and trace technologies, and the impending European falsified medicines directive. Experts will discuss the implications of the pan-European authentication scheme, its impact on contract manufacturers, OEMs and pharma companies during the Symposium on February 10, 2016. Amongst these will be Craig Stobie, Global Life Sciences Team, Domino; Romulo Leon, Head of Global Sales, Mettler Toledo PCE; Michel Bullen, Track & Trace Solution Manager, Optel Vision; Rick Seibert Sr. Vice President, Innovation and Technology Services, Sharp Packaging Solutions, and Michael Gaub, T&T Integration expert at Pester.
Similarly, the European standard EN 16679, has recently come into effect and provides guidance for the application, use and checking of tamper verification features to the packaging of medicinal products. By 2018, all prescription medicine will be required to include a tamper verification feature (TVF). Pharma is now at a crossroads and manufacturers across Europe have to decide which TVF to choose before the looming deadline.
Combination products will also be a key area for 2016, with the integration of human factors engineering (HFE), design for manufacturing (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) seen as the foundations for the development of this product class. Ultimately, it is envisaged that we will see the emergence of smaller and smarter combination products that will speed-up time to market by examining the manufacturing scale-up strategy, concurrent with the development process.
Technologies and packaging that can improve patient adherence will remain a key growth area, and several sessions will run at Pharmapack across the design process for patient friendly packs and how new innovations alongside social media are helping drive crucial competitive advantages. In oral solids, the discussion for the last 30+ years has been across rigid versus flexible solutions, essentially bottles versus blisters. But in 2016, companies will be seeking better packaging options for pharmaceutical doses.
Moreover, the drive for packaging to communicate with patient and healthcare professionals is growing rapidly – whether driven by regulatory agencies (serialisation and traceability) or consumer groups. The next hotbed of potential innovations is set to be flexible packaging for variable dosage forms, in line with the rise in personalised medicine. Ultimately, we may see packaging that has the scope to communicate, or be involved more directly, in the relationship between consumer and physician. But who will be the industry trailblazers, and can disruptive players like Apple and Google help to build new eco-systems that revolutionise this status quo?
Perhaps most significantly, outsourcing is continuing to accelerate in the age of the post-blockbuster world, with many new prototypes and innovations now emerging rapidly from the contract services sector itself. This has huge implications not only in terms of regulation challenges and changes, but also in terms of skills migration from pharma into the supply chain. Finally, the conference will conclude with a Roundtable on ‘emerging technologies and innovation forecast’. This essential ‘future making’ session will be moderated by Daphne Allen, Editor of Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News (PMPN).
Steven Kaufman,Global Business Development Lead at Bespak, commented, “Pharmapack Europe provides an excellent opportunity for attendees and exhibitors to engage with current and prospective business partners in packaging and drug delivery. It’s a vital reference point of new business strategies, thought leadership, and innovation that will shape the industry over the next year. This year Bespak will introduce the Syrina 2.25 auto-injector at Pharmapack –Syrina is Bespak’s innovative range of VapourSoft driven injector devices. By attending we can work with our partners and the industry, as the technologies here will help shape patient experience in 2016 and beyond.”
The Innovation Gallery at Pharmapack Europe 2016 will showcase the advances in packaging intelligence – such as new material, primary and secondary packaging, delivery, labelling, leaflets, anti-counterfeiting technologies, and traceability – that will underpin the next generation of delivery technologies in 2016 and beyond.
“The year ahead is extremely exciting for the pharma packaging and drug delivery industry, with new strategies across patient packaging and combination products, as well as outsourcing helping to bring drugs to market faster. Our conference platform and innovation galleries have identified the crucial breakthroughs that will revolutionise not only how pharma and supply partners work together, but also how these technologies will be essential in transforming the patient experience. In the last few years, packaging and delivery have become an even more essential part of a drug’s regulatory approval process, adherence and efficacy – especially as the use of personalised care and cost effective generics increase. I would encourage anyone looking to stay ahead of market trends and meet new innovative partners to attend Pharmapack Europe 2016,” Anne Schumacher, Event Director, Pharmapack.
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