Articles by Jerry Martin

1. Pulling Double Duty: Packaging Considerations For Combination Products 1/2/2020

   Blending formula and function into one neatly packaged item may seem to simplify the drug delivery process for end users, be they healthcare professionals or patients, but a product that pulls double duty comes with its own set of challenges. Combination products require their own precautions and packaging measures that help to ensure quality, safety, and reliability.

2. Aggregation 101: Connecting The Dots Between Pharma Serialization And Track-And-Trace 8/19/2019

   From “serialization” to “coding” to “track-and-trace,” the pharmaceutical industry is rampant with terms that point to the quest for transparency. The latest of these is “aggregation,” a burgeoning method of data collection aimed at simplifying inventory and the supply chain. While still in its infancy, the technique can help to combat counterfeiting, theft, inefficiencies, and confusion as a whole. Yet, with every new process comes challenges, requiring manufacturers considering aggregation to seek best practices for implementation.

3. Is Continuous Manufacturing Right For Your Drug? 5/30/2019

   Adapting any manufacturing process to continuous manufacturing requires in-depth chemical and mechanical engineering understanding as well as the right technologies.

4. Big Data And AI In Pharma Development And Manufacturing: An Inside Look 2/27/2019

   Artificial intelligence and Big Data have the potential to lower the cost and time of drug trials, to better determine patient outcomes with established drugs, and to better design new drugs.

5. 3D Printing In The Pharmaceutical Industry: Where Does It Currently Stand? 12/21/2018

   In 2015, Aprecia Pharmaceuticals produced the first tablet manufactured through 3D printing to be approved by the FDA. Now, with applications in controlled release, short-run medicines, and even the potential for on-site printing at pharmacies, 3D printing technology has the ability to transform the pharmaceutical industry.

6. Single-Use Systems: The Benefits, The Challenges, And Selection Criteria 9/24/2018

   The drive to reduce costs, increase speed to market, and meet regulatory requirements has led many pharmaceutical companies to look at single-use, pre-sterilized, plastic equipment systems as an alternative to stainless steel lines. Despite all the benefits — cost, efficiency, etc. — there are still challenges to implementing single-use systems.

7. New Regulations And Safety Complicate Drug Labeling 7/2/2018

   Multinational pharmaceutical companies have for decades manufactured drugs for global distribution. Nevertheless, the task of labeling is becoming increasingly difficult and time-consuming. 

8. An Introduction To Biopharma Facility Commissioning & Qualification 4/20/2018

   When looking at facility commissioning and qualification, it's often good to start out with understanding key words so that everybody's on the same page.

9. Modular Facility Design & Single-Use Equipment Considerations For Pharma 1/26/2018

   With the development of structural, component, or subsystem pieces that are standardized and able to be assembled in virtually limitless ways, pharmaceutical companies can quickly and easily set up their manufacturing facilities. 

10. Serialization In Practice: How Manufacturers Can Ensure Compliance 10/2/2017

    Pharmaceutical manufacturers cannot limit responsibility for DSCSA compliance to just the engineers and operators involved in processing and packaging.