Comprehensive Services for Ophthalmology Trials
Medical writing
End-to-end clinical trial management
Study monitoring
Data management
Logistics management
EXPERIENCE
WHY CBCC Vigilant study tracking and monitoring from patient screening to CRF completion Risk-based monitoring strategies in place to counter site-specific challenges
THERAPEUTIC AREAS
• Vitrectomy • Astigmatism • Glaucoma
Access to animal wet labs to conduct animal studies for investigator training which reduces variability KOLs with >3 decades of experience in Ophthalmology area with access to >50 sites in India, Europe and Africa
• Cataract Exclusive site network in the US and India 3 device studies and 2 clinical endpoint studies across 25+ sites in the US and India 1 study on 505(b)(2) product
Robust training mechanism at sites to effectively handle AEs/SAEs during study conduct
Sample size ranging from 20 to 500 patients
Multiple quality checks at each stage of the clinical study
One incredibly challenging device study completed within highly competitive timeline
Patient drop-out rate < 10%
CHANGING LIVES THROUGH HOPE AND INNOVATION At CBCC Global Research, we are accelerating medical therapy development by providing high quality, affordable and innovative solutions. We provide strategic solutions for all phases of clinical trials through efficient delivery of services and ensure flawless execution of projects, on time – every time. We are committed to achieve excellence in all projects by ensuring scientific validity, data integrity and compliance with the latest regulatory guidelines, thus striving to become a leading global clinical research organization (CRO).
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CONTENTS
Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Sr. Vice President-BPD Neil Viegas Asst. Vice President-BPD Harit Mohanty Editor Viveka Roychowdhury* BUREAUS Mumbai Raelene Kambli, Lakshmipriya Nair, Sanjiv Das, Prabhat Prakash, Tarannum Rana New Delhi Akanki Sharma Bengaluru Usha Sharma DESIGN Asst. Art Director Pravin Temble
71ST INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL CONGRESS HELD IN CHENNAI
Pg 8
Chief Designer Prasad Tate Senior Designer Rekha Bisht
PRE EVENT
STRATEGY
POLICY
HR
Graphics Designer Gauri Deorukhkar Senior Artist Rakesh Sharma Digital Team Viraj Mehta (Head of Internet ) Photo Editor Sandeep Patil Marketing Team Rajesh Bhatkal, Ambuj Kumar Debnarayan Dutta Ajanta Sengupta E Mujahid, Nirav Mistry Ashish Rampure
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25
PHARMA AUTHORS ROUND TABLE TO BE HELD IN MUMBAI ON JAN 22
POST EVENT
ONLINE PHARMACIES SAGA ...TO BE CONTINUED
RESEARCH
PRODUCTION General Manager BR Tipnis
51
PIRAMAL SWASTHYA AND THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO ACCELERATE INDIA’S PUBLIC HEALTH TRANSFORMATION
Production Co-ordinator Dhananjay Nidre Scheduling & Coordination Arvind Mane CIRCULATION Circulation Team Mohan Varadkar
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7TH ANNUAL CUBEX-NICHOLAS HALL CONSUMER HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE 2019 HELD
P23:INTERVIEW Gaurav Kaushik Managing Director and CEO, Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals
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UNIV OF SHEFFIELD LEADS WORLD'S FIRST TRIAL OF NEW HEART ATTACK DRUG TREATMENT
Express Pharma® Regd. With RNI No.MAHENG/2005/21398. Postal Regd.No.MCS/164/2019-21. Printed and Published by Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of The Indian Express (P) Limited and Printed at The Indian Express Press, Plot No.EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai-400710 and Published at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021. Editor: Viveka Roychowdhury.* (Editorial & Administrative Offices: Express Towers, 1st floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021) * Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act. Copyright © 2017. The Indian Express (P) Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Why API price needs to be part of NPPA’s pricing formula
I
n December end, a group of doctors from different specialities met media to highlight the safety of ranitidine. (See report: https://bit.ly/2Qj2p9f). The anti-ulcer medication has been under the lens of regulators as certain batches were found to have higher than acceptable levels of the carcinogen Nnitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). (See report: https://bit.ly/378BN1j) A key takeaway from the doctors is that certain drugs are not meant to be taken beyond the timeframe prescribed by their doctors. For example, ranitidine should not be consumed for more than 6-8 weeks. The point is, how can the use of medicines be regulated when most medication in India is available over-the-counter (OTC) with no prescription required? The larger issue is that manufacturers are not as fully in control of the quality of the input ingredients as they would like to be. Thus even though no regulator has explicitly banned these products, manufacturers are voluntarily recalling certain lots as they prefer to be safe rather than sorry, as they cannot vouch for their API suppliers’ manufacturing procedures. Industry sources also point out that testing procedures prescribed could be too expensive for smaller companies to implement on a continuous basis. This is yet another fallout of India’s overdependence on imports for key APIs. A recent paper from PwC, assessing the impact of the rise in APIs’ prices on pricing of formulations in the Indian pharma market, points out that API prices have increased at a CAGR of 10 per cent in the past six years whereas allowed price rise based on current provisions of the price revision formula has grown by
The overdependence on China and other countries imperils not just the health of the pharma industry in India, but also that of patients
a CAGR of just 2.9 per cent. The API accounts for 40-60 per cent of the formulation price, and can go much higher in certain cases based on prevailing API prices. The PwC paper also notes that the percentage of API (excluding API intermediates) imports from China has spiked from ~1 per cent in 1991 to ~80 per cent in 2018 primarily backed by large scale manufacturing incentives and state-driven subsidies offered in China to promote exports. Many API manufacturers in India have shut shop during this period faced with cheaper APIs from China. India Pharma Inc has pointed out that as per Department of Pharmaceuticals showed that India is highly dependent on imports for at least 12 essential drugs listed within the 2011 National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM 2011) and ~80-90 per cent of these imports are from China. The essential drugs include paracetamol, metformin, ranitidine, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, cefixime, acetyl salicylic acid, ofloxacin, ibuprofen, metronidazole and ampicillin. Many of them continue to be in NLEM 2015 as well. Thus the over-dependence on China and other countries imperils not just the health of the pharma industry in India, but also that of patients. PwC’s suggestion to break out of this overdependence is to use API price increase as an input to the current formula. The suggested revision will work both ways i.e. if API prices go up then it will increase the ceiling price over and above allowed WIP. Conversely, if the API prices go down, then the ceiling price will be revised further down. Let us hope that policymakers will consider such suggestions. VIVEKA ROYCHOWDHURY Editor viveka.r@expressindia.com
INTEGRATED MACHINE VISION
More than embedded Complete portfolio: www.br-automation.com/vision
Expanding the field of vision 6
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UV
IR
PRE EVENT
Pharma Authors Round Table to be held in Mumbai on Jan 22 The highlight of the evening will be a discussion on 'Making Projects Interesting: Convert Uninspiring, Mundane practices into exciting processes'
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minence Business Media is creating a platform for young writers and authors at Pharma Authors Round Table scheduled for January 22, 2020 at Hotel Hilton, Mumbai. Business Media invites project managers to submit their abstracts of white papers by or before January 7, 2020. They can share their ideas, initiatives that they have taken to motivate project teams with real life examples, incidents, stories &
case studies. Industry thought leaders along with John Robert, AVP Sunpharma, author of three books on project management will discuss about: Making Projects Interesting: Convert Uninspiring, Mundane practices into exciting processes. Those whose ideas will be chosen will be submitting their full paper to be a part of John Robert’s upcoming book, “Making Projects Exciting”.
Important Dates to Remember: Abstract Submission: January 7th, 2020 Idea Presentation: January 22nd, 2020 Final Paper Submission: January 31st, 2020 Contact: Suryansh Rana Contact number: 919653284123 Email: suryansh@eminencemedia.in
PHARMACONNECT 2020 to be held in Mumbai The event's purpose is to demonstrate the importance of an optimised pharma supply chain and devise innovative practices to overcome current operational inconsistencies PHARMACONNECT 2020 edition will be held on January 16, 2020 at The Lalit, Mumbai. The event will feature interactive sessions, specialised tracks related to the pharma supply chain. Reportedly, PHARMACONNECT's last edition was attended by more than 300 delegates in Mumbai and earned accolades from top industry leaders. The event aims to demonstrate the importance of an optimised pharma supply chain and devise innovative practices to overcome the current operational inconsistencies. It is supported and attended by several pharma supply chain professionals and experts. Leading logistics associations of India like Air Cargo Agents Association of India, Association of Multimodal Transporters Association of India, National Association of Container Freight Stations of India, Federation of Indian Export Organizations, Federation of Freight Forwarders Association of In-
dia, Air Cargo Club of India, Custom House Association Delhi also support the event. The event will coincide with the CARGOCONNECT Excellence Awards, which are based on the Performance Excellence Survey, a survey of more than 2,500 market participants from different supply chain verticals to determine the top players. The awards, commenced by CAR-
GOCONNECT, are presented annually to players in the logistics domain who achieve the highest points in the survey. It is based on several performance factors, keeping in view the holistic and integrated approach taken by the Government in structuring the National Logistics Policy and the new steps and initiatives taken to strengthen quality in the existing ecosys-
tem.
Important information ◗ The selection procedure for Awards nomination is sequential. ◗ The project will be first nominated through a Form ◗ The project will be evaluated according to the laid down criteria by the expert team. ◗ The project will also be
evaluated by an independent set of jury members ◗ Winners will be announced at the Conference venue. ◗ The Winner in each category will be presented with a CARGOCONNECT trophy ◗ A booklet of the awardees in each category with the citation will be published in upcoming edition of CARGOCONNECT magazine. The above mentioned Awards would be decided by the eminent Jury governing rules & procedural system for the evaluation of the entries. The Award selection process will go through a dual process of Jury. The selected winners will be felicitated with Awards at the PHARMACONNECT 2020 Conference held on 16th January 2020. Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.surecommedia.com. For more details, contact: Ajeet Kumar E-mail: ajeet@surecommedia.com Mobile: +91 9810962016
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POST EVENTS
71st Indian Pharmaceutical Congress held in Chennai The three-day conference saw the participation of pharmaceutical experts, regulators, academicians and pharmacy students from across the country. Industry stakeholders were also able to showcase their innovations at an exhibition that was organised alongside the conference By Akanki Sharma
T
he 71st Indian Pharmaceutical Congress with the theme 'Pharma Vision 2030: Healthcare System - Role of Regulators' was recently organised at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai. The threeday conference saw participation from pharmaceutical experts, regulators, academicians and pharmacy students from across the country. The event began with the release of the souvenir for the 71st Indian Pharmaceutical Congress by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) V G Somani; Ravi Uday Bhaskar, Director General, Pharmexcil; Atul Nasa, Drugs Control Officer, Drugs Control Department and T V Narayana, President, Indian Pharmaceuticals Association (IPA), along with several other dignitaries.
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Later, a number of panel discussions were held wherein industry stalwarts, academicians and regulators deliberated on various achievements and challenges in the industry. Chief Guest Dr Sylendra Babu, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), addressed the students present at the congress and said, "You must be proud to be a student of pharmacy. Pharmacy is important because it is a part of allopathic medicine. In the last 500 years, great men and women have made revolutions in science. That's why humankind has been able to live up to 90 years." Also speaking on the occasion, Dr Dinesh Dua, Chairman, Pharmexcil, shared his vision for pharma industry in 2030. He said, "India is the most happening and visible
country in generics being pharmacy to the world." Regarding the regulation mechanism, he suggested the 'one world, one regulator' mechanism. Ravi Uday Bhaskar, President, Pharmexcil, said, "In line with the thinking process of AIDCOC mission- 'to achieve professional excellence through continuous training, better coordination among the drugs control officers', and more interaction with fellow pharmacists to establish pharmacists and regulatory officers as vital link in the chain of healthcare delivery, we have chosen the theme of the congress 'Pharma Vision 2030: Healthcare System - Role of Regulators' which aptly conveys that regulators have pivotal role in monitoring the quality and efficacy of the medicines, along with
growth and prosperity of national healthcare." Highlighting generics, his view was, "Generic drugs continue to be a resounding success in lowering healthcare costs and benefitting patients including developed economies like the USA. Indeed, generics saved the US healthcare system $239 billion in 2013, $253 billion in 2016 and a total of $1.67 trillion in the last 10 years." He also said, "As a result of its ability to produce quality medicines at affordable prices, the Indian pharma market crossed $40 billion and is meeting 90 per cent of its domestic needs. Pharma exports recorded $19.13 billion in FY19 with 10.72 per cent growth. Now, India has become one of the largest producers of generic medicines globally
and is positioned as the fourth largest exporter of generic formulations in the volume and 10th largest in value." T V Narayana, President, Indian Pharmaceuticals Association (IPA), Mumbai, shared the annual report for IPC 2018-19 and informed the audience about the background of this congress. He said that from 2007 onwards, five bodies have been hosting IPC, including Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Indian Pharmaceutical Graduatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association (IPGA), Indian Hospital Pharmacistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association (IHPA), Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI) and All India Drugs Control Officers' Confederation (AIDCOC).
This year's conference was hosted by AIDCOC. Guest of Honour for IPC 2019,
Dr Somani, in his address, kept the students in focus and said that there are three types of regulators â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one is the regulator for quality, safety and efficacy; another is for price and the third one is for education. "If the quality of education is not good, the pharmacy students coming out of pharmacy institutions will also not be good," he stressed. He further shared his concern about pharmacy education and development of technology, saying, "Having lakhs of pharmacy students coming out every year without a potential to get an immediate job is a real challenge that needs to be resolved. Another challenge is the advancement in the technologies in medicines making throughout the life cycle during which the role of the regulator becomes important. If
Industry leaders also talked about finding ways to bridge the gap between industry and academia the regulator is not updated with newer systems and technologies, quality and safety will not meet their expectations." Predicting the future of pharmacy for 2030, Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech said that Chemistry is being worked upon 70 per cent, while only 30 per cent work is being done in Biology at present. "In 2030, it is expected to be vice-versa," he anticipated. Apart from it, he also told the audience about the importance of manufacturing vaccines in India. "In terms of doses, Indian vaccine protects two out of three children in the world," he informed. He also told that India is far ahead of China and is a vac-
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cine hub for the developing world. Ella also shed light on the transformation of the pharmacy. According to him, the old concept involves pharmacist; present one involves pharmacist as well as generics business, manufacturing, QC
and QA. "The future concept involves innovation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; manufacturing, delivery and nanomedicine, " he added. He concluded by saying that we need a change in mindset for better future of pharmacy. "Pharmacy should focus on strong biology and
start thinking of innovation," he insisted. Industry leaders also talked about finding ways to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Dr PBN Prasad, Deputy Drugs Controller, CDSCO, said, "Academicians should come to the in-
dustry with their requirements. Let us reorient towards that and make IPC a successful programme for both the industry as well as academia." Addressing a topic titled 'Innovation to Commercialisation and Campus to
POST EVENTS
Awards were also given by AIDOC to recognise professionals who have made an immense contribution to the pharma industry Corporate,' HG Koshia, Commissioner, Food Safety and Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration, said, "In India, most of the companies are focussing on generics and the country is established as the pharmacy of the world because we know our core competence in generics and we are getting the lead of the 30 per cent of the world popula-
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tion by providing quality and safe medicines." Claiming that a regulator can only be a supporter for the industry, S Veeramani, Chairman and Managing Director, Fourrts, said, "Requirement of the market and patient is known to the pharma companies, and they have been discussing it with the academia to find out how much they can
contribute towards developing a particular product. The regulator's role comes when it's in the process of getting approval. At that time, a regulator can come in and give an idea on how to get an approval for the new product. Talking about the role of technology in the pharma industry, he said, "Technology is coming into play now and as
time passes, it will play more roles because it is quickly developing these days. Currently, a lot is happening in the sector and so much will happen in the upcoming future too." Awards were also given by AIDOC to recognise people who have made an immense contribution to the pharma industry. A few other awards
were also conferred to academicians by IPA, IHPA and APTI. Industry stakeholders were also able to showcase their innovations at the exhibition that was organised alongside the conference. It was also announced that the 72nd edition of IPC will be held at Nagpur University in December 2020. akanki.sharma@expressindia.com
POST EVENTS
7th Annual CubeX-Nicholas Hall Consumer Healthcare Conference 2019 held The conference explored ways for marketers to connect with today’s tech-savvy consumers through speakers who were presented at the conference AS THE technology matrix gets bigger and better, every entity is finding innovative ways to keep up with it, especially in the health and wellness arena. From sight to touch, consumers are exposed to digitisation through all basic senses. The consumption techniques are multiplying and the strategies are entangling, day after day. The one who is in tune with this change, will catch the consumers’ attention. Based on this, the 7th Annual CubeXNicholas Hall Consumer Healthcare Conference 2019 explored ways for marketers to connect with today’s techsavvy consumers through speakers who presented at the conference. Global consumer healthcare market continues with low momentum but key trends drive the market. Nicholas Hall, Executive Chairman and Creative Solutions Director, Nicholas Hall Group of Companies, provided a global outlook to the consumer healthcare domain and highlighted the key trends shaping the market. The global OTC market has been valued at $175 bn (in 2018, as per Nicholas Hall’s DB6 2019), growing at CAGR of approx. 5 per cent. The growth momentum continues to be low due to various factors such as pricing pressure, deceleration of emerging markets, impact of e-commerce on retail business (generic offerings playing a key role) and more importantly, 2018 was the first year in a long time that did not witness a switch. However, there are some key trends influencing the overall market such as innovations, especially in lifestyle OTC category. Cannabis continues to make headlines with
(L to R) Fireside chat between NK Ahooja, State Drugs Controller, FDA, HaryanaHead of new OTC sub-committee and Milind Thatte, Managing Director and Member of the Executive Board, Procter&Gamble HealthChairper
Nicholas Hall, Executive Chairman and Creative Solutions Director, Nicholas Hall Group of Companies, reiterated that PACE model (Pharmacy, Adjacency, Consumer and Ecommerce) will be a strong pillar for consumer healthcare new gum format while cocoa extract food supplements get positioned for healthy blood circulation. Hall also co-presented 15 infinity zones from his signature report ‘New Paradigms 2019: Over the Horizon’ along with Bernadette de Villiers, Creative Solutions Manager at Nicholas Hall and Company. One of infinity zones was prevention wherein digestive health is assuming more importance as a gateway to
overall health and well-being. Women’s health especially for the ageing population gains ground (the brand, wellwoman 70+ being a testimony to this trend). Medical devices, including those positioned for women’s needs such as fertility monitors, are a rapidly evolving segment. Finally, Hall reiterated that PACE model (Pharmacy, Adjacency, Consumer and E-commerce) will be a strong pillar for consumer
healthcare.
Decoding the Digital Consumer Shivaji Dasgupta, Chief Strategy Officer, Havas Group India shared insights regarding the emerging consumer profile in India. Based on BCG research on urban consumers, it was found information-based shopping (with at least two data points) was found among 85 per cent of the respondents
across categories. In the context of healthcare, it was found that 57 per cent of consumers embrace health and wellness through services, food and gadgets – which indicates that marketers have to think beyond the pill and other traditional offerings. The study also indicates that while online retail may touch approximately 10 per cent of the total retail spending by 2025, by then, “digitally influenced retail spending” will touch 30-35 per cent (currently it is estimated at roughly 20 per cent). Hence, the power of the digital medium as a consumer touchpoint will only gain more importance in time to come. On similar lines, Venugopal Ganganna, CEO, Langoor Havas also highlighted that online searches for various information points is increasing as also voice-based searches and hence, redefining the media experience for the digital consumer stands out as a prominent need for marketers.
Creating New Footprints and New Routes to Success in Consumer Healthcare A few young leaders also shared interesting insights and experiences related to innovative businesses that are catering precisely to the digital consumer. Varun Alagh, Co-Founder and Chief Dad, Mamaearth spoke about influencing consumers in the digital age, one of the principles being commitment and consistency. Also, he stated, an authoritative figure (such as a doctor) does influence consumers as a“social proof ” of the brand as it can influence other consumers’ behaviour and thoughts. Chris Clarke, Chief Operating
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POST EVENTS Officer, Hello Health Group spoke about how the company’s digital health media network in South East Asia is empowering consumers, based on content in local languages. Known Hello Swasthya in India, it is the country’s fastest-growing health and wellness platform with over 2.3 million social followers especially in lower tier cities. Dr Rashmi Shetty, Aesthetic Dermatologist, Ra Skin and Aesthetics spoke about how right influencers can help consumers adopt solutions that are more suitable to them. Often, bloggers and vloggers on social media platforms may not be qualified to give the right advice like dermatologists (who can be constrained in advocating specific solutions due to regulations) and thus, it can leave glaring gaps with consumers. Varun Khanna, CoFounder, Fast&Up and Founder, Fullife Healthcare spoke about focussing on specific consumer segments such as millennials and creating products and communication that they can relate to. He also answered a key question that often besieges marketers stating that both, online as well offline retail presence, are needed today as consumers adopt both of them based on convenience. Ajay Singh Parihar, Head of Marketing, OTC Health Care Business, Dabur India, further highlighted that e-commerce as a distribution channel may be more of a compulsion for brands launched in recent times as it has almost become a norm. He also spoke about how important it is to maintain core brand values while contemporising existing heritage brands.
Betting on Success: Digital vs Phy-gital The panel discussion was a mix of marketers from varied backgrounds such as pharma and FMCG as well as existing and emerging businesses. One of the key takeaways from the panel discussion is that marketers may have to start redefining “phy-gital” not just in the context of distribution footprint. They may have to
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(L to R) Tarundeep Rana, Head Of Marketing, Consumer Healthcare, Sun Pharma Shashi Kalathil, Co-founder, DoMerit Advisory; Director, Yfactor; Saumick Pal, Associate Director, Strategy and Projects, Established Pharmaceuticals Division, Abbott India (moderator); Varun Khanna, Co-Founder, Fast&Up; Founder, Fullife Healthcare; AJAY Singh PARIHAR, Head of Marketing, OTC Health Care Business, Dabur India
Nicholas Hall, Executive Chairman and Creative Solutions Director, Nicholas Hall Group of Companies
consider it in terms of enhancing consumer experience through packaging innovations that utilise the digital medium and health ATMs in pharmacies that connect consumers with healthcare professionals.
What is in store for marketers The conference also witnessed a fireside chat be-
tween NK Ahooja, State Drugs Controller, FDA, Haryana/Head of new OTC sub-committee and Milind Thatte, Managing Director and Member of the Executive Board, Procter & Gamble Health/Chairperson of OTC Committee in OPPI/Member of the Global Self-Care Federation board. The outcome was a positive outlook to the much-awaited OTC regula-
tions with emphasis on the need to empower pharmacists/paramedics as well as ensure right information touch points are available to empower the consumer. Kanchana TK, Director General and Board Member, OPPI presented on ‘Empowering Every I’, an OPPI initiative related to the cause of responsible self-medication. Nitika Garg, Director Research,
OPPI presented details pertaining to the Value of OTC Study, a research initiative to determine the economic impact of OTC medication in India. To conclude, while digitally native consumers may be today’s key audience in the digital world, it cannot be ignored that the consumer base is significantly rising across ages as well as socio-economic groups. The successful companies will be those who can seamlessly integrate the digital world into the real world and redefine the consumer experience in terms of offerings (products and services), marketing, distribution as well as engagement. The conference was rounded off with a bang with the launch of the first edition of India’s 1st Consumer Healthcare Marketing and Creative Awards 2019. There were three categories of awards – Best Creative Campaign which was won by Durex of (RB), Best New Product Launch for which PeeSafe – Menstrual Cups took the lead and the Best Digital Campaign had two winners i.e. Neurobion (P&G Health) and Cofsils (Cipla Health). EP News Bureau
DEAL DEAL TRACKER
Healthcare industry reports 64 deals worth US$27 bn in Nov'19 According to GlobalData,three big ticket deals together contributed 73 per cent to the total deal value in November 2019
I
n November 2019, the healthcare industry reported 64 deals worth US$27 billion as compared to the last 12-month average (November 2018 to October 2019) of 57 deals worth US$29 billion. Three big ticket deals — Novartis’ acquisition of The Medicines Company, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing and commercializing novel therapies for addressing the unmet medical need for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), for US$9.7 billion; Stryker Corporation announcing to acquire Wright Medical for approximately US$5.4 billion; and Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation acquisition of the remaining 43.61 per cent stake in Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp for US$4.5 billion — together have contributed 73 per cent to the total deal value in November 2019. The healthcare industry reported 83 venture capital (VC) deals worth US$1.2 billion in November 2019, compared to the last 12-month average (November 2018 to October 2019) of 101 deals worth US$1.8 billion. Akeso BioPharma, Inc. raising US$150 million in series D financing; eGenesis, Inc. raising US$100 million in series B funding; and Avidity Biosciences raising US$100 million in series C financing are some of the major VC deals reported in November 2019.
Deal Date
Acquirer (s)
Target
Deal Value (US$ m)
24-Nov-19
Novartis AG (Switzerland)
The Medicines Company (US)
9,700.0
4-Nov-19
Stryker Corporation (US)
Wright Medical Group NV (The Netherlands)
5,400.0
18-Nov-19
Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (Japan)
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp (Japan)
4,519.4
15-Nov-19
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland)
Promedior Inc (US)
1,390.0
25-Nov-19
Asahi Kasei Corp (Japan)
Veloxis Pharmaceuticals AS (Denmark)
1,311.9
Deal Date
Acquirer (s)
Target
Deal Value (US$ m)
4-Nov-19
Jianxin Capital; Orbimed Advisors LLC; Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd; Zhejiang Jiahua Group Co Ltd; Loyal Valley Innovation Capital LLC; Xingze Capital; Shenzhen Innovation Investment Group
Akeso Biopharma Inc. (China)
150.0
7-Nov-19
Khosla Ventures LLC; Wellington Partners Venture Capital GmbH; Alta Partners; ARCH Venture Partners LP; Fresenius Medical Care Ventures GmbH; Biomatics Capital Partners LP; Leaps by Bayer
eGenesis Inc. (US)
100.0
13-Nov-19
Partner Fund Management LP; EcoR1 Capital LLC; Eli Lilly and Company Ltd; Alexandria Venture Investments; Takeda Ventures Inc; RTW Investments LP; ST Pharm Co Ltd; Perceptive Advisors LLC; Brace Pharma Capital LLC; Alethea Capital Management, LLC.; Boxer Capital LLC; Cormorant Asset Management LLC; CureDuchenne Ventures LLC; Logos Global Management LLC
Avidity Biosciences LLC (US)
100.0
13-Nov-19
Viking Global Investors LP; Orbimed Advisors LLC; Osage University Partners; Nextech Invest Ltd; Topspin Partners LP; Interwest Partners LLC; Boxer Capital LLC; Euclidean Capital LLC
PMV Pharmaceuticals Inc (US)
62.0
A2 Biotherapeutics Inc (US)
57.0
5-Nov-19
The Column Group LLC; Nextech Invest Ltd; Samsara BioCapital LLC; Vida Ventures LLC
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Experts outline plans of action for capability expansion, reforms and market leadership to step up India Pharma Inc's growth trajectory
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Atransforming landscape Experts and influencers reflect on the many milestones achieved by our pharma industry to become ‘Pharmacy of the World’ and explore strategies to enable India Pharma Inc embark on its next phase of growth
The future of pharma is expected to be driven bydigital transformation
Implement qualityculture at all levels to rebuild image and credibility
G
T
iven the recent price control on essential drugs, stringent regulatory requirements and focus on affordable healthcare by the government, managing cost is a big driver for the pharma industry. Recent trends indicate that companies have started collaborating in the value chain, especially in the back end supply chain to drive efficiencies and sustain a profitable growth. Driving collaboration requires a connected ecosystem and there is thrust towards enhancing digital capabilities in the sector, therefore driving new areas of strength. This is seen to have led to many non-traditional players, especially tech giants participating in the value chain right from drug discovery to drug delivery changes in the healthcare industry are expected to lead to large scale disruptions over the next 15-20 years, especially when moving towards a solution for affordable health for all. For example, care today is retrospective and reactive, and in the future, care is likely to be prospective and predictive, adapting to the needs of the empowered consumer/patient. Consumers will not wait until symptoms force them to go to a physician – in the future, technology and an ‘always on’ environment is expected to provide continuous insight into an individual’s well-being and help in deciding proactively while addressing a potential disease. In this context, today’s biopharma approach is unlikely to sustain 15-20 years down the line – the modern research
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he Indian pharma industry has achieved several milestones in the past 25 years. Some of them are as follows: ◗ Moving away from manually operated/semi-automated manufacturing plants and machines to automated manufacturing machines and building management system/software based operations. ◗ Moving towards total global regulatory compliance. ◗ Record high ANDA/DMF submissions to US FDA. India ranks 2nd
Antony Prashant Partner - Strategy & Operations, Life-sciences Consulting Leader, Deloitte India
process is too expensive and time consuming, and treatments typically adopt the one size fits all approach. Biopharma must prepare for a future that will focus on personalised treatments. Mass marketed therapies are unlikely to cut it when we can map a human genome in under an hour at low cost, and then tailor drugs to individuals’ biology and underlying needs. Therefore the future of pharma is expected to be driven by digital transformation enabled by radically interoperable data and open, secure platforms, when moving to more personalised drugs and treatments.
largest globally. ◗ High level of trained and knowledgeable working force. ◗ Learnt the hard way, paid a heavy price to improve and meet compliance challenges, especially meeting data integrity requirements. ◗ Realised the need to ensure quality culture. ◗ Implementation of ‘quality by design’ process for API/product development. ◗ Better infrastructure in R&D, manufacturing, quality monitoring and supply chain. ◗ Focus on niche products development and expanding global markets. Steps to sustain the growth in next 25 years must include: ◗ Focus on biosimilars, genetics, vaccines, nanotechnology products as biologics offers opportunities for explosive growth. ◗ Develop horizontal and vertical digitalisation of pharma processes. ◗ Utilise AI/Machine Learning in development and manufacturing besides big
Ranjit Barshikar CEO - QbD International, Quality by Design/cGMP Consulting United Nations MP Geneva -Consultant
data analytics to witness drastic changes in the way we diagnose/treat diseases. ◗ Use emerging technologies like continuous manufacturing and 3D printing. ◗ Implement 'Quality Culture' at all levels to rebuild image and credibility. ◗ Build and operate fully automated labs for inline testing and monitoring. ◗ Business focus should be patientsoriented.
Innovation in operating models,patient outreach and payment models will be as important as the science of pharma itself T
he Indian pharma industry is truly one of the success stories of modern India. It also reflects entrepreneurship to capitalise on a market driven opportunity and fulfil an economic need at very competitive prices. The industry has been able to adopt innovative both, innovative process development coupled with modern manufacturing processes, while adhering to global compliance standards. The number of manufacturing plants in India that meet manufacturing standards across a wide gamut of regulatory standards reflects its maturity. As we stare at the horizon, in terms of what lies ahead, questions must be asked whether the engines that propelled us to achieve the success we enjoyed, will continue to serve us in an
ever-changing environment. As personalised medicine becomes a reality, the target audience will translate into a more sharply concentrated and smaller population, which seeks targeted cures as opposed to broad spectrum cures. Personalised medicine at its peak will challenge the traditional bulk manufacturing model. Add to this, innovations such as 3D printing and dispersed manufacturing, the rationale for large manufacturing plants, except for basic building blocks will be challenged. Innovation in operating models, patient outreach and payment models will be as important as the science of pharma itself. A fundamental question to be asked is whether the basis on
Utkarsh Palnitkar Founder & Managing Partner, Aarna Corporate Advisors LLP
which we compete remains the same. The industry has achieved great success in emerging as a manufacturer of low-cost products. To remain a low cost producer, it would be imperative to
have a stringent controls over all elements of costs. As is apparent, this is becoming increasingly difficult. The problem is compounded with the concentration of buying power in markets like the US. Some of the imperatives for the industry are: 1. Rebranding itself The industry is recognised as a low cost manufacturer. It would be essential to convey high quality at competitive costs, rather than only low cost. The industry is represented by a large number of trade associations, perhaps one for every segment. It is time that it comes together and speaks in one voice. The success achieved by NASSCOM for the software industry needs to see a parallel in the pharma sector.
2. Innovation partnerships The experience with partnering with universities and institutions such as NIPER has at best been a limited success. The industry needs to forge a new partnership with academia setting up chairs and programs for future oriented, industry focussed research. Accountability for results must rest equally with the industry and academia. Merely giving grants will not resolve this. 3. One standard for quality We cannot have a domestic standard for quality, which is in any manner not equal to the highest standard adopted in any geography. Cost and quality need not be opposing ends. The cost of low quality will far exceed the price for being the hallmark of dependability.
Emerge as leader in innovation with an aim of launching three to four NMEs annuallyby2030 M
&As in pharma industry have been increasing at a very fast rate. Big MNCs have been acquiring small companies with niche products to increase their own footprint. The other opportunities for MNCs lie in the areas of CROs, high-end products, and clinical trials owing to the availability of skilled doctors and other medical and paramedical personnel. This also also resulted in a change in the spending pattern of Indian pharma companies. Today, it is estimated that the industry spends around 18 per cent of its revenue on R&D which is further expected to reach 25 per cent. But, the industry is also facing a number of challenges such as: ◗ Frequent and unexpected changes in prices.
◗ Constrained talent pool who possess advanced skills. ◗ Low collaboration between academia – industry on innovative R&D ◗ Moderating growth in US market due to price erosion ◗ Limited presence in other markets like China, Japan ◗ Greater scrutiny from global regulators on quality norms, requires continuous investment in upgrading quality standards ◗ >80 per cent API requirement along with KSMs are imported, vulnerability to supply disruptions and price movements ◗ Lack of a cost-competitive domestic API manufacturing base So, the following steps will be needed to ensure India
Dr Dinesh Dua Chairman, Pharmexcil, Chairman, Entrepreneurship & Start Ups, CII North India, CEO & Director, Nectar Lifescience
Pharma Inc's continued progress: ◗ Take bold strategic moves
into uncharted territories (like making big bets on markets like China, Japan) ◗ Protect the core through extensive adoption of new-age digital and advanced analytics techniques to drive newer efficiencies across front-end and back-end operations. ◗ Drive capability building, especially on the quality front, with regular and deeper engagement with regulators like the US FDA and other drug authorities. ◗ Emerge as leader in innovation with an aim of launching three to four new molecular entities (NMEs) and 10-15 incremental innovation launches annually by 2030. ◗ Create research ecosystem supported by incentives, statemandated academia-industry
collaborations, streamlined regulations and create enabling environment for encouraging start-ups. ◗ Focus on driving innovation at scale by easing regulations on technological development ◗ Collaborate to create an independent Ministry for Pharmaceuticals. ◗ Increase government expenditure on healthcare from 1.2 per cent to 2.5- 3 percent of GDP by 2022 and five per cent by 2030, in line with the European and North American economies. ◗ Provide infrastructural and investment support needed to bring India’s doctor-patient ratio in line with WHO’s global benchmark e.g., support innovative digital technologies to increase access.
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cover ) 2020 and beyond: Key trends impacting the labelling market By Ken Moir, VP Marketing, NiceLabel highlights that there is a pipeline of new opportunities for global labelling solutions or label management systems
A
s we look ahead to 2020 and beyond, it is clear that the labeling market is being driven by the broader IT trends of digitisation and modernisation. These trends are fueling the development of the market and will accelerate over time. In enterprise resource planning (ERP), for example, this combination of digitisation and modernisation is transforming systems, with SAP software solutions in use today rapidly migrating from
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SAP ECC into the new business suite of SAP S/4HANA. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just one example but it is important because it is part of a wider IT modernisation trend that ultimately impacts on labelling. When large enterprises update ERP, one of the natural consequences is that they will subsequently modernise their labeling systems and often migrate to, or implement a new standardised global labeling solution. In other words, the impact
on labelling is part of a wider chain of events driving IT modernisation. And that chain is accelerating as new technology comes on stream. That is why we are seeing a pipeline of new opportunities for global labelling solutions or label management systems today across the industry that is larger than we have witnessed for many years. And we expect to see these trends speed up not just during 2020 but increasingly throughout the decade. That chain of events is also increasingly leading to a modernisation of hardware systems â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something we again expect to see happening more and more throughout 2020 and beyond. As Windows mobile computers reach end-of-
life organisations are changing them to Android mobile computers. The next link in the chain is that businesses start to standardise their printer estate. Instead of having multiple brands and models in place, they standardise on one brand and even one model. That reduces costs and the administrative burden as operations become more efficient and there is less need for support, even around basic tasks like loading media and changing printer settings, less operator training, fewer spare parts to stock and less unplanned downtime. It is a classic example of less is more. That, in a sense, is what is happening in the industry today and what we see accelerating in the future but we are also witnessing a raft of newer
trends coming into play that are set to impact the industry over the coming years. Take the migration to cloud, for example. This is already underway - and cloud labeling solutions are already up and running. Often though, some elements are still on-premise. Printer drivers that generate the printer command languages are still often located on local servers. Even they will move to the cloud over time. In fact, driven by the latest evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT), the printers themselves will increasingly become connected. The technological capability has been in place before but the rest of the market has not been advanced enough to take advantage. Over the next decade,
the advent of driverless printers in the cloud will be a key benefit for businesses as the migration to the cloud gathers pace. In line with this, we will also see higher levels of cloudto-cloud integration both of business systems generally and also of label management systems. The move to the cloud will reduce the complexity of the process for businesses and make label management simpler and more efficient. Another trend we see accelerating is the convergence of labeling and marking. Most label printing in the past has been traditional thermal printing. Direct marking typically comprises continuous inkjet printing and laser etch-
ing. Historically, the two areas have been separate when it comes to management but they are now coming together, with users increasingly saying they want to use one system for both technologies.
A look at regulation Regulation across the sector has become more stringent in recent years and we only see that increasing in 2020 and beyond. The rules around labeling of allergens have been tightened in recent times and it is
key that businesses ensure their labeling is 100% accurate in this area, not only for compliance but also in terms of public trust. Moreover, the EU is to introduce a new medical device regulation (MDR) in May 2020. It is important that businesses operating in this area work with label management system providers that enable them to maintain a validated, compliant labeling solution. Added to this, we are seeing Russia introduce serialisation requirements on everything from alcohol to pharma to fur. And as a result, large international businesses who trade with Russia are having to customise their labeling in order to comply. The final area to cover here is RFID. We are seeing rapid
adoption of this technology in the apparel and garment sector in particular â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and there is nothing to indicate this trend is going to go away during 2020. In fact, we would expect other industries to adopt it in the future.
Looking forward In summary, as we look to 2020 and beyond these are exciting times for the labelling and label management industries. Trends like stricter regulation, serialisation and the growth of RFID will continue to impact the sector but it is the modernisation and digital transformation of the whole sector, including the move to cloud that is having the most profound impact of all on the labeling and label management markets today.
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cover ) Encouraging patient-centric innovation in pharma Dr Ayaaz Hussain Khan, Global Head Generics, Navitas Life Sciences (a TAKE Solutions Enterprise) emphasises that patient centricity should form the crux of pharma drug design and development
T
he advances in technology has empowered patients, making them more knowledgeable, with better access to information than ever before. Patients interact with their peer groups and other patients online and exchange experiences, taking part in support groups and, thereby, contribute to real-time data generation. This empowerment has improved patient visibility, with an expectation to be heard during drug design and development. The pharma industry too is recognising patients as important stakeholders in their healthcare dialogue. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), which are authority regulatory bodies, are incorporating patient input into their decision making. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just the authorities but publishing houses as well that are catering to the shift in perspective. An interesting initiative launched by The British Medical Journal in 2014 required clinical trials publications to incorporate insights from patients by including them as peer reviewers, authors, editors and even guest contributors. Such strategies help in showcasing patient perspectives.
A step in the right direction The change in the social landscape where patients are becoming increasingly aware has laid additional stress on health care. There is a strategic balance between the need to act in the best interests of patients while managing costs of the pharma industry. Earlier, pharma companies were focused on making profits, getting involved in the cycle of investing in new drugs, recovering the costs of R&D and making a profit. Though it is important
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and understood that pharma companies need to make profits, a shift in focus on patients will help their products do well in the market and benefit the patient as well.
medicines that were prescribed were not taken correctly or not consumed at all. One of the factors associated with non-compliance in India is lack of education about the prescribed medicine. This reduces the efficacy of the treatment, while increasing the risk of negative health outcomes and a failure of the drug to do well in the market.
How will a patient centric design help develop better drugs? Patient centricity during drug design will help in addressing key requirements of a target population, like the needs of people with impairments or certain co-morbidities. There could be factors that may affect usage of certain drugs, making it imperative to develop drugs that are appropriate for use. A case in point is the use of child lock in medication packages which may not be user friendly for people with arthritis. Another example would be the inability to read information booklets provided with drugs due to poor vision or poor literacy standards. The development of solid oral dosages is another important focus point of patient mediated customisation. Pediatric or geriatric patient populations have an inability to swallow tablets or capsules. Pediatric patients are often faced with a fear of chocking while consuming oral dosages, while mentally challenged patients are known to skip taking medications by hiding the pills in their cheeks. A startling study conducted in India showed that 90 per cent of patients who discontinued their epilepsy treatment did so because they could not afford it. If the target population is unable to afford the medication, then the drug will not be as commercially viable, even if it was a highly effective formulation. A sniff of patient centricity in India is evident with the government hinting at the design and development confidential of generic drugs to combat the high costs
Using AI to get more data points in clinical trials
of branded drugs. As a sort of checkpoint, the Government has made it mandatory to carry out bioequivalence studies to understand the efficacy of the generic drugs against the branded drugs. An understanding of the needs of the target population will, therefore, help in designing mechanisms that promote the use of the drug among the targeted population. Identifying specific requirements of the patient population during product design has a higher likelihood of being relevant to patient needs in a real-world setting. Such considerations are not widespread in the current clinical trials scenario.
Promoting better usage in the market Quantifying initiation, implementation and discontinuation of medications help in measuring the correct and incorrect dosing practices. Such data can be used by drug developers in developing formulations with market outcomes that are closer to those predicted during clinical trials. This could make the product commercially viable, while failure to do so may be commercially disastrous. A study conducted in the US showed that more than 50% of
Many pharma companies and healthcare providers understand the need to get patient specific data, collected either from patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; diaries or sensor technology. Such data collection may be carried out even during the clinical trial process. The Apple watch heart study is a case in point, where real time data of over 400,000 participants was collected to understand heart health, taking experimental studies out of the confines of closed doors. Another essential use of technology in understanding patient behaviour is in the use of synthetic control arms which removes the need of patient population on placebos or under standard care. This also increases the number of patients who will receive the potential therapy, impacting the progress of their disease condition. Pharma companies are now working on collecting multiple data points like a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genomic, phenotypic, molecular and clinical data. The multiple variables that are collected could be used to simulate clinical trials, improving clinical trial outcomes and reducing the time taken to complete trials. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies guide and engage patients through social media based on the services that they may need. There has been a steep increase in the number
of patient communities, which are great for crowd sourced information. The use of analytics on such patient chatter will throw better insights and real time data that can be used to tailor pharmaceutical services. Such online communities also provide one of the early warning signs of diseases like flu. Patients now not only have their own health records in hand, but they also decide who to share it with. Moreover, wearables help such patients monitor their health and connect with their doctor, while the devices also act as alarms alerting doctors about an impending health outcome. This information will not only be used to help the patient concerned but will also be used to develop better treatments that could help many more.
Driving factor for innovation Patient centricity, therefore, should form the crux of pharma drug design and development. Affordability has been one of the key driving factors for generic medicines, and with patents of some top branded drugs getting over soon, there are a lot of new drugs that are expected to enter the market. Flexibility and ease of use have promoted the spread of wearables that monitor fitness and health. Medicines for children are no longer bitter and difficult to swallow formulations but pleasant tasting wonder drugs that support the interests and needs of the patient. A closer to home example is that a mother is more likely to prefer fruit flavored and sweet tasting syrups that a child is more likely to swallow rather than a hard to swallow tablet. Patient centricity is the driving factor for innovation in pharma, a pulse on the needs of the target population could go miles in terms of market acceptability.
Trends in retail pharma for 2020 and beyond Arushi Jain, Executive Director, StayHappi Pharmacy explains how technological advancements would play a crucial role in the overall progression of the retail pharma industry
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hat is retail pharmacy? Though it might not seem distinctively different, retail pharmacy is unique from the hospital pharmacy. The retail pharmacy is an independent avenue that provides branded or generic medicines to the public with or without prescriptions that they already carried while coming. These entities can be a solo shop or be a part of a major corporation. The concept of retail pharmacy has existed ever since 2000 BE. There are mentions about the notions in Sumerian cuneiform tablets. There has been a significant development in the segment today. Governments and medical bodies have levied multiple regulations to ensure proper and secure functioning of retail pharmacy. Though entrepreneurs and pharmacists initially established the units, major corporations have shown interest in the segment. They are in the process of building its network across the country. They implement a corporatised way of positioning their brand in an attempt to grab the atten-
healthcare services are some of the essential services required for the proper functioning of society. The drug sales are closely associated with this segment making it a popular and in-demand industry. Like every other industry, the retail pharmacy avenue strives hard to adapt to the evolving consumer perception. The trends that determine the sustenance and growth of the channel are continually updated. Here are some of the leading trends that can make a significant difference in the retail pharma industry for 2020.
tion of the consumers. The pharmacies associated with the hospital follow a different path. They usually sell drugs that were prescribed by some doctor in the hospital, and hence processes are more clinically stringent. The line separating both the pharmacy stereotypes might be thin in India. This is mainly due to the traditional consumer purchase style and specific practices in the system. The retail segment
is booming in the country owing to the excessive population and increase in the per capita income. The consumer demands in these avenues are quite permanent as most of the essential items fall into this category. With the advent of e-commerce, the segment is widely classified into the online and offline categories. The pharmacy industry has undergone an exciting development in the country. Medicine and
Trend towards generic medicines What are generic medicines? The drugs are developed with the exact formulation of the prescribed medicines but are not associated with any brand. All leading pharmaceutical companies develop their unique version of the medication and market them under their brand name. This system has led to increased competition among companies. This forces the brands to undertake
innovative promotion techniques to capture the attention of the end-user or consumer. This also leads to a steady and gradual increase in the price of the product that forces the patients to spend more to procure the medicine. This makes the drugs unattainable to the people from lower economic backgrounds. The generic medication breaks all these stereotypes and focusses on providing medicines to consumers at affordable prices. The consumers have become aware of these drugs and are choosing them instead of branded versions. This market is predicted to grow in the coming year, and the importance of generic medicine is bound to increase.
Prevention is key Research institutions and healthcare organisation are currently focussing on the development of prevention medications. This would be supplied to the consumers in the form of vaccines and wellness capsules. The enhanced awareness has motivated the public
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cover ) to take adequate measures to prevent the diseases. This includes making appropriate lifestyle changes, along with a small dose of health supplements. The past decade saw a considerable increment in the number of patients suffering from chronic lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, etc. The increasing numbers provided the muchneeded wake up call to the present generation. This has also motivated the healthcare organizations to provide adequate concentration on prevention of diseases. Preventive medicine has become a recognized speciality that creates awareness through counselling and consultation. Major corporations have undertaken the responsibility to allot funds to this division. The institutions focussing on this segment are expected to attain measurable results in the upcoming year.
Infusion of technological advancements It has become highly improbable to survive without technology in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. Every business in the retail segment uses some form of technology to reduce their production cost and enhance their consumer experience. The retail pharmacy segment utilises IT in every aspect, right from inventory management to customer support. It minimises the risk of error and establishes a robust system in place. Newer technological advancements is invented and upgraded regularly, and this would play a crucial role in the overall progression of the retail pharma industry in 2020.
Contribution of Ecommerce segment The term E-commerce has reached every nook and corner of the earth. The segment has attained popularity in a few years. The internet and digital medium play a critical role in the lives of people irrespective of their age, gender and geographical presence. A study states that India has over 451 million internet users. A fair
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percentage of these consumer utilize online shopping due to their convenient presence, range of collections and exorbitant deals. The retail pharmacy segment has been relatively late to join the eCommerce wagon. This is primarily due to the hesitation of the consumers to adopt this system. However, the younger generation has shown support to this channel, and the consumer base of the portals is steadily increasing. There were some issues connected with this avenue owing to Government regulations and privacy concerns. However, the companies are taking the necessary steps to resolve these problems with the support of the authorities. 2020 is expected to increase the sales of medicines through eCommerce portals largely.
Introduction of AI Artificial Intelligence is gradually introduced in various segments of the retail industry and other segments. This is expected to be the next most significant trend change in the technology avenue. What is Artificial Intelligence? How can AI be utilised to uplift the retail pharmacy segment? Like the name suggests, AI is the technique through with the machines are upgraded to make informed choices through a string of instructions. This would empower the systems to analyse the gathered information and decide the next course of action. This technological progression would be a boon to the retail pharma industry that contains information of patients and medicines. The application can analyse the formulation and specification of the specific drugs and provide suggestion to the pharmacist on the ideal type of medications based on the patient profile. Leading companies are testing the system, and some organisations have even begun their testing phase with Artificial Intelligence.
Streamlining the Supply Chain The supply chain process plays
a crucial role in the success of the retail market. The proper functioning of the system ensures the timely delivery of the goods to the end-users. The cost factor has indirect implications on the cost of the product. The retail pharma industry has seen its share of discrepancies in the supply chain structure. Various external and internal factors contributed to this lag. The primary reason is the lack of planning and organization of some companies. This led to issues in the shelf life of the product and storage irregularities of certain items. The recent tax complications led to increase in prices affecting the vendors and the consumer. Nowadays, technology has a huge role to play in streamlining and organising it. With increased tech-support, planning inventory and its management has become easier, has also resulted in cost-savings and reduced manpower intervention.
versed and educated with the differential formulation to provide customized support to the clients. Companies have incorporated various methodologies to achieve this goal. The primary step would be to understand the patient history. This could be a tedious task as India has a highly unorganized retail pharmacy segment. A fair percentage of the customers attempt to self-medicate and refuse to seek proper medical attention for minor illnesses. This enhances the responsibility of the pharmacist and the retail pharmacy outlets to analyze the condition and provide the ideal medications. These shops are gradually utilizing technology to incorporate these changes and provide customized support. Major pharmaceutical chains and hospitals have also deployed dedicated customer assistance teams to support patients across the country.
Launch of speciality drugs
Over 12 lacs medical shops and units belong to the unorganised sector of the Indian retail pharmacy industry. Also, there are more than 10 thousand distributors and stockists in the Indian scenario. Recently, a lot of consolidation has started happening. Many mergers, buyouts, acquisitions have taken place, and the retail industry is consolidating.
The advancement in the medical segment has led to the development of diagnostic tools to identify the cause and source of illness. This has also inspired the way for the progression of the segment into speciality and super speciality divisions. The pharma industry has surged to the challenge of meeting the demands of its counterpart. They are in the process of speciality drugs to rectify these issues. This is a booming market, and newer medications are expected to be launched in the upcoming years. The stem-cells based medication is also booming and in future will help in recovering earlier and better.
Focus on customised support Consumers are no longer willing to admit the standard approach. Every patient is unique and so is their requirement of medicines and drugs. The pharmacist should be well
Restructuring of unorganised sector
Impact of China units closedown A lot of API units in China were under pollution control radar this year. India as a country is highly dependent on China for procurement of raw materials and hence, this affected the raw material availability and the prices of medicines. Many medicines were short due and a few prices increased due to demand supply gap in the country. The pharma segment has attained significant growth in terms of sales and revenue generation. However, the research and development aspect of the medical world is yet
to catch with the growth. Newer threats force companies to increase their speed in this avenue. The consumers are in the lookout for instant relief that could pose a significant threat to the process. The differences in regulations across the globe prevent the pharmaceutical industry from achieving standardization. Various external factors also threaten to tamper with the overall growth of the segment. The trade war between United States and China has caused a substantial dent in the industry. Companies and organisations dependent on these countries are forced to seek alternative measures that initiate a rift in the entire supply chain process. Ultimately, the end-user or the consumer is most affected due to fluctuating prices and inconsistencies in the products. The Indian Government has taken numerous actions to normalise and maintain the standards of the retail pharmacy industry. The steps aid to minimalise the impact created by the fluctuations in the global market. The Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) monitored by FDA ensures the regularity in the price of the medicines and drugs in the Indian Market. The companies have also identified unique strategies to increase their brand visibility and provide customised services for consumer retention. Major corporations have shown considerable interest and are planning to venture into the retail pharmacy segment in the near future. Some organisations have already opened their outlets across the country and have garnered considerable customer attention. They have utilised the advancements of technology to upgrade their service levels in all divisions. The impact of this development is seen in production, distribution, marketing, sales and maintenance of consumer information. The evolving trends and progression focus on uplifting not only the sales but also the overall retail pharma industry.
STRATEGY I N T E R V I E W
Nutraceuticals is the fastest growing segment of biopharmaceutical industry in India As a biopharma company, we realise that the most critical aspect is to provide wellresearched and developed products, which are cost-effective and can be accessed by all, informs Gaurav Kaushik, Managing Director and CEO, Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals, to Akanki Sharma
Give details about the ongoing trends in biopharma industry. In what ways is your company contributing to this industry? The biopharma industry is witnessing a positive trend in terms of growth, acceptance and innovation. Looking at the numbers, the global biopharmaceuticals market was valued at $237,250.8 million in 2018 and is estimated to be valued at $388,997.3 million in 2024, witnessing a CAGR of 8.59 per cent. A large contributor to this growth is the economic and sustainable ability of the industry to discover and produce innovative treatments as well as biological solutions. Another major contributor is the growing acceptance of enzymes, enzymatic preparations, pre and probiotics, nutraceuticals and botanicals, which have expanded the market size of the overall industry. As a biopharma company, we realise that the most critical aspect is to provide well researched and developed products, which are costeffective and can be accessed by all. At Meteoric, we are working on next-generation products across all product
lines -- be it enzymes, probiotics, nutraceuticals and botanicals. Our aim is to attract major Contract Research Organisation (CRO) business across the world by providing highly-researched and welldeveloped products, systemised processes and cost-efficiency. Which are the markets wherein probiotics, nutraceuticals and enzymes are growing exponentially? Share some examples and statistics to support your answer. Asia Pacific market of probiotics has been growing rapidly now in the last decade-and-a-half. The major contributors are India, China and Japan. Hence, the probiotics market in Asia Pacific has been growing rapidly over the last decade. The CAGR of 7.5 per cent forecasted for 2016-2024 is now showing an uptrend of CAGR 9.6 per cent at $33.04 billion which is approximately 44 per cent of the global probiotic market demand. When it comes to food enzymes, the global market was valued at around $1.9 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach around $3 billion with a 5.6 per cent
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STRATEGY CAGR. According to a survey by Research and Markets in 2018, North America occupied one-third of the global market. One of the reasons for the growth in the food enzymes market is the tremendous development of protein and genetic engineering. Parallelly, regulators like Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) and Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) also framed user-friendly guidelines for the use of enzyme as food additives leading to an increase in the growth of the overall enzyme industry. In India, we see a surge in the nutraceuticals industry due to the huge demand for dietary supplements and additives, from people of different age groups. Nutraceuticals is the fastest growing segment of the biopharma industry in India and was expected to grow from $4 billion in 2017 to $18 billion in 2025. Name the companies you
At Meteoric, we are working on next-generation products across all product lines - be it enzymes, probiotics, nutraceuticals and botanicals offer your products to (in India as well as across the world). As per our confidentiality agreement with our clients, we will be unable to share the names and details. However 65 per cent of our business is export-driven. Today, we supply to clients across 70 countries. What is your current business model? How much revenue does your company generate annually? We are currently catering to the enzymes, probiotics, nutraceuticals and animal healthcare segments. In addition to our custom formulation services, we have recently launched various finished formulations as well that cater to endemic
health problems and lifestyle disorders. We plan to actively work on the synbiotoic segment in the coming year. Meteoric generated revenue of Rs 325 million last FY. Amidst the domains you are active in, which one brings you the maximum revenue? Also, how many patents does the company have at the moment? Enzymes and enzymatic preparations and probiotics generate the maximum revenue for us. We have seen tremendous growth in nutraceuticals which will catch add to our revenue in the next FY. We have filed three patents as of now. What key factors drive the growth of Meteoric
Biopharma? How do you make your company stand out in the crowd? The three major factors that drive Meteoric’s growth are innovation, customisation and knowledge. We always look at ways to provide better products through constant research and testing in a cost-efficient manner. Moreover, we work closely with our customers, understanding the markets they work in to drive mutual growth. Our trained technical team is always upgrading its knowledge which ensures they are able to provide complete technical back up to our customers on a real-time basis. When you innovate continuously, it’s enough to
make you stand out in the crowd. But at Meteoric, our offerings are a great combination of Science and Economics, they are wellresearched and pocketfriendly, which is a rare combination. What’s the way forward for your company? Any new products in the pipeline? We are always looking at how we can make our suite of products more comprehensive for our customers. As mentioned earlier, we have launched our finished formulations this year and plan to actively work in the synbiotoic segment. We also plan to explore application of probiotics in the daily consumable food segments like juices, soft drinks, regular diet food, etc. We also plan to invest in clinical trials and studies as well as filing new patents in the coming year. akanki.sharma@expressindia.com
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24 EXPRESS PHARMA January 1-15, 2020
POLICY
Online pharmacies: Arocky road ahead? Online pharmacies have been the cause of several heated debates and discussions over the past few years. Express Pharma too has tracked the happenings in this sphere from time to time and deliberated on the strategies for the way forward. This time round, we are training our focus on the draft guidelines for online pharmacies. Though it has been ready for over a year, there is no clarity on when e-Pharmacy Rules will get finalised. The recent ban by the Indian drug regulator on the online sale of medicines without licenses seems to indicate that there will be further delay in the final outcome. Express Pharma talks to industry stakeholders and their preparedness for it. By Usha Sharma
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POLICY
Due to fewer entrants,innovation in this space will also be quite slower F rom an online platform perspective, we want to reiterate the business model: ◗ Customer requests for products on an online platform ◗ The request is sent to an off line brick and mortar store ◗ The prescription is validated and verified by pharmacists and only then the order is accepted for fulfilment ◗ The pharmacy receives the order and fulfils the order (compliant to the drugs and cosmetics act) ◗ All pharmacies in our network are licensed by state FDA and are operating under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist
What do we expect A level playing field for online platforms vs offline pharmacies: There cannot be different rules/compliances for different channels which if exist can lead to undue advantage to one channel and overburden of compliance to the other Ease of doing business: We expect the government to create an environment which is easy for start-ups and entrepreneurs and also encourage innovation rather than burdening them with licensing and compliances. Digital platforms provide better visibility and transparency and hence would be a great benefit for regulators to have better control and view of the overall industry transactions Increased usage of digital platforms: For increasing visibility, monitoring and control of regulators over each and every transaction within the healthcare ecosystem, digital platforms are a
Dharmil Sheth, Co-founder, PharmEasy
must. It is hence very important to push usage of technology across the sector in order to improve the current standards and help improve the standards of healthcare delivery for patients in the country What is happening due to delay in finalising policy Lack of investments: The pharma sector is expected to be $35 billion industry by 2023 as per some industry reports. Lack of clarity will always discourage entrepreneurs and investments won’t come in easily leading to slower improvement of the current infrastructure. More than 100 start-ups this year got funded in the fintech space while less than 25 startups got funded in the healthcare space (in-spite of fintech being much more complex in terms of execution and regulations) Lack of innovation: Due to fewer entrants, innovation in this space will also be quite slower than in any other category. Healthcare needs more innovation in order to improve the current standards of patient experience and lead to better outcomes.
Going digital is the onlywayforward for a robust economyand a healthyIndia As
my family has been in the pharmaceutical business for a century, and I come from a background in pharmacy and technology, I could see a clear opportunity in taking the delivery of medicines online. Several underserved parts of the country did not have access to proper healthcare and some villages in rural India didn’t even have a store to buy drugs and medicines. To that end, the e-pharma model is a perfect solution where essential health supplies can be bought with the click of a button. When the draft rules were being developed, we worked actively with the government and had multiple levels of discussions and consultations with all the stakeholders. We have all been in agreement that the online pharmacy sector will primarily operate as an aggregator which serves as a marketplace, and we will be working with retail pharmacies to fulfil the orders. It is important, therefore, to understand the spirit in which the rules have been circulated by the government. I would like to address the issue of licensing because there is a key difference between legalising a business and regulating business. The Chennai High Court divisional bench was clear that we could continue running the business in its present form, and any additional rules required to regulate us would be notified soon. That’s what the order had actually read. This delay has caused a gap in understanding the online pharmacy model. Another impact of the delay is that some investors who may not have a de-
Pradeep Dadha, Founder & CEO, Netmeds.com
tailed understanding of the rules and regulations express concern about investing into a sector where there is a grey area. However, all of us who have invested into, and operate in this space are very clear that we have always adhered to the existing laws of the land. As and when the laws require any change, we would definitely comply with all the new guidelines as well. Our prayer to the government is that the sooner they go ahead and notify the rules, the more time we have to work towards improving the access to affordable medicines for each and every Indian. We sincerely hope that the delay in final clearance of the legal framework to regulate online pharmacies is a very short one, because going digital is the only way forward for a robust economy and a healthy India.
The end goal must be to make qualityand affordable medicines accessible to all
T
here has been a lot of speculation around the e-pharmacy related guidelines since a long time now and it is open to different interpretations. In recent years, e-pharmacies have been able to provide access to affordable medicines to people even in the remote areas. They are also ensuring efficacy, transparency and reliability in the delivery of medicines. Despite this, from a regulatory standpoint, the online sale of medicines continues to remain a grey area with a lot of mis-
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We believe that the right way for the industry to grow will be an omni channel approach – something we are doing match and lack of clarity even among people within the industry. The Indian government is already moving forward in this direction with a draft policy
ready. Some of the guidelines issued are aimed at regulating as well as authenticating the epharma market. We need to catch-up to new age ways of selling. In this light, the need of
the hour is a clear set of guidelines that will help the ecosystem grow more rapidly and in a manner that is compliant with the spirit and intent of law. The end goal must be to make quality and affordable medicines accessible to all. We believe that the right way for the industry to grow will be an omni channel approach – something we are doing. If the actual regulatory framework is implemented, we strongly believe that it would prove to be an enabler for companies like us.
Amit Choudhary, Founder & CEO, Dawaa Dost
POLICY
‘We expect emergence of hybrid model of online pharmacy’
E
-pharmacies have been a regulatory hot button issue for over a year now. The recent office letter of the DCG(I) requiring all state drug controllers to enforce the order pronounced by the Delhi High Court in December 2018 seems to only be a continuation and reaffirmation of the current position taken i.e. online sale of medicines should not be done by pharmacies who are not licensed for the same. Additionally, the DCG(I) letter appears to be only a stop-gap measure until proposed legislation for online pharmacies comes in force. There has been some delay in regulating online pharmacies as most Indians continue to frequent brick-and-mortar pharmacies and are not familiar with buying medicines
online. Though online pharmacies are seen as not a proper option to brick-and-mortar pharmacies, online pharmacies provide multiple benefits to consumers, especially to patients who are unable to buy medicines easily from brick-and-mortar stores due to various reasons. Regulating online pharmacies is important as online pharmacies are important for providing easy accessibility of medicines especially in more remote areas and may be at affordable price. Once regulated, the rules can be tailored to ensure that online pharmacies only operate by obtaining a valid license and maintaining quality of medicine throughout the supply chain. The rules can also provide a mechanism to ensure total
Online pharmacies are here to stay and not regulating them only makes it harder for consumers to capitalise on the benefits
Dr Milind Antani, Head, Pharma and Life Sciences, Nishith Desai Associates
compliance. Online pharmacies can also be required to maintain a copy of the prescription against which drugs were supplied. We expect emergence of hybrid model of online pharmacy and traditional brickand-mortar pharmacies operating in India. With proper rules and implementation and en-
forcement in place, pharmaceutical companies too can have online mechanism to sell their products. The delay in regulating e-pharmacies is merely deferring the inevitable. Online pharmacies are here to stay and not regulating them only makes it harder for consumers to capitalise on the benefits.
‘Funding should not be misused in creating a habit which is not sustainable’
F
uture is Omni channel. Customer definitely do not wish to stay one channel of meeting his need. He would definitely like to interact with pharmacy or any other vendor through multiple ways. It could be a physical visit or order via app or web or through a call or even on a chat. The real challenge which is existing today is that no one has really worked on these aspects in totality. Simply burning money or becoming anti for other format will not solve the problem. Infact if everyone together can focus on providing every channel to trade with customer, then everyone can make money. Discounting is not at all required when you can convenience. The focus of every format should be to compliment the other channel and move forward. Industry is moving through $50+ billion market opportunity then why to crib about any of the current issues. Rather focus on future and try to leverage to their favour. Traditional formats will always have the advantage of
In the cutting-edge technology era, both traditional as well as advanced format needs to be synced in such a manner that they compliment each other and deliver solubility solution to the masses
Sripal Bachawat, Director, C-Square
knowing customer personally and will always be emotionally well connected. This piece will and can never be served by online pharmacy. Traditional pharmacy are closer to the proximity of customers and hence they will remain customers first choice when it comes to acute medicines. Online pharmacy has an advantage of record management better than traditional
format and gives a complete track of transaction chain. Unlike other business - this business is about customers health. Luring them with discounts which is not available (as margins) is not a great idea. This shows clear intention of eliminating traditional format. This does not in anyway adds value to the existing system. Funding should not be mis-
used in creating a habit which is not sustainable. The best possible solution is traditional format becomes marketplace players in this online system subject to government regulation in place. The traditional format then acts as hyper local.
Conclusion In the cutting-edge technology era, both traditional as well as advanced format needs to be synced in such a manner that they compliment each other and deliver solubility solution to the masses. However, the delay of draft
rule of online pharmacies seems disturbing the growth as well. Although, with the growing demands and balancing the supply aspects, stakeholders of the industry also need to put in well conceived plans in order to make a supply chain robust and effective. May be this could be the one concern aspect of the government for delay in announcing the final rule book for the online pharmacies! However, we will wait and watch what they have in the bag in 2020 for the industry. u.sharma@expressindia.com
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RESEARCH UPDATE
Univ of Sheffield leads world's first trial of new heart attack drug treatment Sheffield researchers led a study showing that selatogrel has a very rapid onset of action in patients with heart disease and may have ideal qualities for heart attack treatment
R
esearch has shown that a new drug, selatogrel, may provide an alternative treatment for patients during the early stages of a heart attack. Professor Rob Storey, the Cardiovascular Research Unit team at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have led the first international study of selatogrel in patients with heart artery disease. Oral drugs currently in use can take hours to work, particularly in patients who require pain relief such as morphine for their heart attack; but the study found selatogrel may provide a solution to this. Results from the selatogrel
study, which were presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Paris in September 2019 and have now been published in the European Heart Journal, the world’s leading heart journal, show that a single subcutaneous injection of selatogrel has a very rapid anticlotting effect within 15 minutes of administration, lasting for up to eight hours. This is ideal for providing an anticlotting effect during the early stages of a heart attack. Additionally, anticlotting medication is also critical in preventing blood clots from blocking off a stent when a heart attack patient requires further treatment. A stent is a tiny mesh tube that is inserted into af-
fected, or clogged, arteries and expands to keep them open, reducing the chance of further heart attacks by allowing the blood to flow more freely around the heart.
Hence, as current oral anticlotting drugs can take hours to work, the study shows selatogrel would also be particularly ideal for those patients who require emergency heart artery stenting. Professor of Cardiology at the University of Sheffield and Academic Director and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Rob Storey, was the Chief Investigator for the study which was carried out in 18 centres around the world and included 345 patients. He said, “In Sheffield, we have led the way in the development of more effective anticlotting medications for heart attack, which has markedly
reduced the risk of stent blockage and further heart attack. However, we have also discovered that the onset of anticlotting effect of oral drugs can be delayed by more than six hours in heart attack patients, particularly when they have required painkillers such as morphine.” He adds, "We have been searching for a solution to this problem and now have characterised the properties of a new drug, selatogrel. These properties seem ideal for the heart attack setting in order to ensure prompt and reliable anticlotting effect. We can now move ahead with larger studies of selatogrel and see if it provides even more effective and safe treatment of heart attacks.”
Oxford Gene Technology develops transformative constitutional NGS panel The new CytoSur NGS panel—launching early in 2020—will combine the strengths of microarrays and NGS to deliver a comprehensive all-in-one assay OXFORD GENE Technology (OGT), A Sysmex Group Company, has developed a breakthrough targeted NGS panel for constitutional cytogenetics research. The new CytoSur NGS panel—launching early in 2020—will combine the strengths of microarrays and NGS to deliver a comprehensive all-in-one assay. The new panel, in conjunction with OGT’s popular Interpret analysis software facilitates the accurate and confident detection of loss of heterozygosity (LOH), mosaicism and copy number variants (CNVs), in addition to those
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more traditionally assayed by NGS, single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions/deletions (indels). Featuring the most upto-date content for Intellectual Disability (ID) and Developmental Delay (DD), the new targeted NGS panel and Interpret software enable users to detect even small (single exon) CNVs accurately — something that is has been challenging with NGS and hence a major step forward for the technology. Emma Shipstone, EVP, Marketing at OGT commented, “We have developed our CytoSure NGS panel to meet the increas-
ing desire of labs to transition from microarrays to NGS and obtain as much information as possible from a single assay. NGS technologies have traditionally struggled with CNV detection, but thanks to OGT’s
panel design expertise and advanced software algorithms, we have overcome these challenges, delivering exceptional CNV data that exhibits excellent concordance with arrays. The results are very easy to interpret, with our highly intuitive software allowing a seamless transition to NGS for ID/DD analysis, in what has historically been the domain of the array. Ahead of launch early next year, our early access collaborators are telling us that the data quality speaks for itself and more than meets their requirements.” Dr John Anson, CEO of OGT
also added, “Moving with and anticipating market needs, we’re strengthening our CytoSure brand in constitutional cytogenetics with the development of our first CytoSure NGS panel. OGT, as a part of Sysmex, is committed to developing our assay portfolio, delivering the highest quality solutions to meet the real-world challenges faced by cytogeneticists. CytoSure NGS represents a real leap forward in NGS technology, demonstrating OGT’s capability—as experts in hybridisation—to lead the global market in this field.”
Positive results in Phase 3 study for Allegra/Telfast in patients with allergic rhinitis The first primary endpoint of the study found that Diesel Exhaust Particles (DEP), a common component of air pollution, significantly increased the severity of pollen-induced Allergic Rhinitis (AR) symptoms THE RESULTS of the Phase III, single center, sequential and parallel-group, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled FEXPOLSAR study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Allegra/Telfast (fexofenadine hydrochloride) in adults with Allergic Rhinitis (AR) symptoms aggravated by a common component of air pollution were announced at the World Allergy Congress (WAC) in Lyon, France. The study demonstrated that Allegra/Telfast 180mg significantly decreased pollution-exacerbated AR symptoms by 21 per cent (p=0.0148) in adult allergic rhinitis patients. “For Allergic rhinitis patients, symptoms such as a blocked or runny nose and itchy eyes can prevent a person from performing at their best in everyday life, ” comments Dr Anne Ellis, the investigator of the FEXPOLSAR study, Professor and Chair of the Division of Allergy & Immunology , Department of Medicine at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario and the Director of the Environmental Exposure Unit (EEU). She adds, “The FEXPOLSAR study has confirmed the impact of air pollution contributing to allergen-induced AR symptoms, and for the first time there’s strong clinical evidence that an allergy treatment can decrease these symptoms.’’ During his speech at the Sanofi symposium during the Congress, Prof Ignacio J Ansotegui, Chairman and President of the World Allergy Organization (WAO) also addressed the prevalence of allergic rhinitis, “Many dismiss allergic rhinitis as trivial, yet its symptoms do have a major impact on those who suffer. Air pollution can have a serious impact on allergic rhinitis, as it aggravates the
Allergy epidemic affects more than one bn patients with a global rise in prevalence, which may reach up to 4 bn affected individuals by 2050 symptoms of the condition.” Currently, 400 million people suffer from allergic rhinitis worldwide. Allergy epidemic affects more than one billion patients with a global rise in prevalence, which may reach up to 4 billion affected individuals in 2050. Allergies can increase in frequency and severity depending upon one’s immediate environment. Air pollution can also contribute to the severity of al-
lergen-induced symptoms. The study aimed to understand the impact of a common constituent of air pollution, DEP, on the severity of pollen-induced AR symptoms and to determine whether Allegra/Telfast (fexofenadine hydrochloride) 180mg could provide significant benefit in alleviating AR symptoms in the presence of both pollen and DEP. The study has confirmed both the adverse impact of air
pollution on pollen-induced AR symptoms and the positive effect of Allegra/Telfast 180mg in reducing these symptoms. During the congress, the international consensus statement on the 'Management of Allergic Rhinitis aggravated by air pollution' endorsed by WAO was officially released. Authored by 23 experts in the field and led by Professor Robert Naclerio from Johns Hopkins, Baltimore,
Maryland, US, the statement highlights the key findings of the FEXPOLSAR study and explains what needs to be done to improve the health of AR patients and the impact of this condition on society as a whole. The FEXPOLSAR Study compared and evaluated the exposure effect on AR symptoms on Allergen alone (Ragweed pollen (RP), and Allergen plus air pollutants (Diesel Exhaust Particulates (DEP). The third stage study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Allegra/Telfast (fexofenadine hydrochloride) 180mg versus placebo in adults with Allergic Rhinitis (AR) symptoms aggravated in presence of air pollutants.
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INFRASTRUCTURE INSIGHT
Evolution in packaging over the last 25 years Jayanti Sawant, Consultant,Pharma Packaging Development, examines the transformation that pharma packaging has undergone since the past 25 years
2
5 years ago, packaging technology per se never had a strong presence in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, consumer products or any other industry. Pertaining to pharma industry, packaging largely camouflaged under the ‘packing’ operation under production and the development process would take place under the R&D, Quality Assurance and Quality Control departments. This holds true for other industries as well. There were no packaging experts, neither did packaging teams exist. The development process was merged under R&D and production in most of the organisations and packaging existed merely as a subsection. Packaging technology, however, goes hand in hand with any new product development and supply chains. It is the first thing that interacts with a patient or end-user about to buy or consume a drug. Hence giving importance to patient compliance or consumer convenience is the most significant criteria of new product development, and packaging is an important aspect to it. The packaging scenario in pharma gained speed following the nineties, due to growing export market, globalisation, regulatory requirements, competition and revolution in digital technology, mergers, acquisitions, growing customer needs and expectations for continuous improvements leading to innovations and stricter FDA regulations. Thus the process of evolution started and the journey of packing to packaging technology began. The function of packing or the pack was no longer confined to simply holding and carrying/ transporting the product.
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Let’s have a look at the images carried in this article to better understand how the transformation has taken place from packing to packaging technology. That being said, we cannot compare pharma packaging with the packaging methods employed in other industries. The scaling will be totally different for pharmaceuticals since it has one of the most stringent, critical, systemic bunch of processes for product releases.
Need of evolution With globalisation and enhanced regulatory requirements, the modern packaging industry is vigorously evolving to create new products that are cost effective, to give best barriers against contamination, to create the brand image and operates as a key tool that influences channels of distribution. The re-engineering develop-
ments have expanded the job responsibilities of a packaging technologist manifold, which wasn’t the case two decades ago. Today packaging technology is an independent cell. Years ago it was a mere day to day function of Quality Control. Today it’s an autonomous department in the industry playing a vital role in all developments. With an enhanced role of packaging professionals, the research area grew enormously in the last two decades with more and more packaging materials in the market. The entire process built a stronghold considering the following goals : To contain the product and to avoid spillage or leakage during various stages of production and until it reached the consumer.
2. To protect a product from damage or contamination: The product must be protected against being dropped, crushed, and against frantic movement during transit. The product must also be protected against the climate, including high temperatures, humidity, light and gases in the air. 3. To identify and present the brand - Packaging is the main way products are advertised and identified. To the manufacturer, the packaging clearly identifies the product inside and it is the packaging that the customer recognises while shopping. Thus, it helps to sell the item and create a brand identity. 4. Protection during Transport and Ease of Transport Packaging should be designed to make the product easy to transport, move and lift. A regular shaped package (such as a cuboid) can be stacked without too much space being wasted. This means that more packages can be transported in a container. This enables the systemising of logistics and supply-chain. 5. Stacking and Storage The shape and form of the packaging determine how efficiently they can be stacked or stored in warehouses or at distributors’ inventory.
The process of evolution: The evolution in pharma packaging technology took place in terms of the types of packaging materials, quality of packaging materials, evolution In printing technology, improved process of vendor evaluation, digital technology like 2D codes, track and trace, the eco-friendly requirement of packaging material usage, automation process. 1. Types of packaging materials – a wide range of materials are available now with the
super quality that imparts higher strength to the product. 2. With the evolution of printing technology, aesthetics have rapidly gained attention which again has helped in implementing anti-counterfeit concepts - holograms and micro text. 3. Process evolution – a simple example is FFS technology which is hygienic and provides ease of being a single-use product to customers. Other examples of process evolution are auto cartoners and bundlers which have streamlined production lines, upgraded production outputs, minimized errors in manual operations and led to appropriate packing of the finished goods. 4. Evolution in plastic technology has resulted in packs that are cost effective, light in weight and have good barrier properties. 5. Modern packaging considers design. It is essential for companies to be able to provide a product that is packaged in a well-designed pack and is appealing to the customer. This necessity has facilitated the advancement of packaging technologies. 6. In addition to the easy availability of colourful and complex designs, packaging technological evolutions have also allowed for unique and modern shapes to be easily made in plastic moulding processes. For example – caps and bottles in oral liquids. 7. Wastage during various operations has demanded more compact packaging materials resulting in less wastage and improved productivity. 8. There is a need for ecofriendly materials. The packaging industry and the end-users of packaging material have also been affected by environmental concerns. As a result, many
food items now come in recyclable packaging or packaging which is made from already recycled materials. This, in turn, has influenced packaging design, as most products now come with clear instructions on how the materials can be disposed of or recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. 9. FSSAI (global) dictates rules and the divulging of nutritional information and correspondingly, FSSAI (national) dictates food packaging rules in India. These rules and regulations have standardised primary food package labelling which educates the consumer. Mainly the package displays the name of the food or the brand name, the list of ingredients, nutritional information, declaration of the food product being vegetarian or not with the help of a logo - green logo for veg and brown for non-veg, declaration of the ingredients, permitted colours used, name and complete address of the manufacturer, customer care contact details, quantity, retail sale price, FSSAI logo and license number, batch number, manufacturing date, shelf-life, country of origin and the instructions for use. This labelling has also been followed for the Neutraceutical sector of pharma mainly food supplements, vitamins, etc. Mistakes in food labelling and packaging can delay a product’s launch, lead to product recalls, and cost manufactureres a huge amount of money. Government agencies across the globe have stringent regulatory policies for food packaging designs. Every time a new product is launched or the packaging is renewed, one has to make sure to adhere to these rules. The need for these rules arose out of customer need where the end-user needs to understand all that is packaged and how to use the product. The amount of calories one is gaining after consuming the food product also demands to be known.FSSAI Regulations are a comprehensive set of guidelines that all food product manufacturers and brands must follow. FSSAI decides the content architecture, the place-
1. Insulin injections: a) Vial pack
b) INSULIN PEN/Prefilled syringe
Various packaging of the rocin tablets
ment of content – what goes on the front or back – the sizes of different texts, typefaces to be used, and the amount of area the information should cover on all food and beverage labelling, size of logo, font, etc. Many companies with products that look appealing to young children but could be harmful are adding child-resistant closures to imbibe the element of safety. The artwork is supposed to include all the details mentioned above.
Some Examples of evolution in packaging: In the 90s, plastic evolution began and glass bottles were replaced by plastic containers which had high impact strength and moisture barrier and allotted great convenience
for transit and supply-chain. The growth stabilised with flexible laminated pouches, laminates, tubes, plastic bottles for oral formulations. Upgradation and evolution took place in process areas like 1. Blister packaging – development of Alu-Alu blister, for hygroscopic products proved as a blessing with an increase in product cost. Various varieties and combinations in PVC/PVDC AND TRIPLEX films added to better barrier properties of the product and thus longer shelf-life. 2. Cartoning – cartonators streamlined, standardised entire packaging operations and delivered high-speed output, eliminated human errors. 3. Case packing – it became the backbone of supply-chain,
especially for heavyweight items. It revolutionised secondary-tray packing which acts as a unit pack for logistics and supply-chain . The case packing machines and systems eliminated breakages during transit, provided protection during transit between warehouse to distribution as further streamlined distribution process. 4. Filling and aseptic FFS OR BLOW /FILL/SEAL technology – for example, eyedrops, both single-use and multidose bottles produced using FFS technology. Another application of FFS which has huge market share is STERILE water for injection or sterile sodium chloride for injection in FFS. The pack is not only aseptic but has also reduced breakages due to glass vials.
5. FG inspection systems, packaging material auto inspection systems on printing machines can identify error during process hence can prevent huge rejections in the final product. 6. Coding – DGFT barcoding and compliances, serialisation and track and trace. 7. Logistics and cold chain packaging – Cold chain packaging is ideal for products sensitive to high-temperature conditions. Vaccines, Insulin injections, anaesthesia injectables need to be stored in such packaging .Examples are insulated shipping containers, temperature monitoring tags, insulated boxes, shippers with inner aluminium lining, hot and cold gel bags. Cold chain is required to getting the product to the
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Evolution of the Amrutanjan balm
destination in proper condition, retaining the quality of the product. It is called as 'chain' since it is a continuous, uninterrupted series of products being stored, transported and distributed in refrigerated condition, along with associated equipment and logistics, which maintain the desired low-temperature range. The cold chain process is generally handled by QMS (quality management systems ), who are responsible to validate the cold chain process and issue required documents to release the product for shipment. Thus the system helps safe delivery of the product to the end-user with optimum shelf life.
Some measure brand evolutions through packaging
tion port has been designed that eliminates the need for multiple injections without having to puncture the skin for each dose. Breakages of glass vials was another matter of concern while storing the vials at home or carrying along with while travelling. Thus, the inconvenience to the patient demanded an easy to carry and operate pack. Storage conditions of insulin are utmost important till consumption. Hence the innovation was a costly affair. Thus Insulin Pen was opted by many and preferred over traditional injection devices. Ease of handling and delivering metered dose to the patient, accuracy, elimination of human error in using the equipment took over cost factor. (see reference image 2)
1)Insulin injection– Patients with type 2 diabetes require insulin to keep blood sugar level normal and it’s mostly done by subcutaneous injections which the patient has to take daily. These injections are available in glass vials which over a period evolved, now these are available as prefilled syringes or as pumps. Vials and syringes –The patient has to withdraw insulin from VIAL with the help of a syringe and then inject subcutaneously, 2 to 3 times daily. This is indeed a painful process for the patient, also, an inconvenience to carry the pack outdoor is a major drawback of the packaging.Nowadays, an injec-
2) Crocin tablet– The evolution in the product range, rather brand extensions and its packaging have been amazing. From regular 500 mg round tablet to an oval shape, slim, long tablets with brand extensions like Advance, pain relief, cold and flu -the packs belong to the same basket yet differentiate strongly from one another. Primary pack – the blister foil is colour coated base and bears all the detailed information and statutory warning. The pack has a hanger for display on shelf. PVC used in blister for each category is different such as blue, red and yellow respectively. Thus it helps in
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segregating packs during production, identifies on the shelf display and creates a strong brand identity. It reflects all the aspects of packaging - a selection of primary, secondary packging, designs, all are synchronized to an appealing display. The outer cartons have OTC look and eyecatching hanger type display. 3) Amrutanjan balm– The name itself holds a huge brand image in our minds. Its journey from a glass bottle with aluminium cap, the yellow pack holds a special place in millions of hearts as a herbal balm. With compeititions, consumer demands the brand now has extensions like –Pain balm, strong, and Maha strong with unique design, colours differentiating the packs. The bottle changed from heavy glass bottle to a plastic bottle and tamper-evident cap. A simple product with great packaging which displays the brand on shelf. Boom of the e-commerce industry: Today’s consumers are busy, and convenience is important to them. That is why many packaging innovations are centred around the idea of ease. There are products whose packaging is smaller, single-use, closable, microwaveable, easy to pour, close and open.E-commerce requires strong secondary packaging for shipping the goods. Thus came a revolution in sec-
ondary and tertiary packs, mainly cartons and shippers. Product safety and protection till the point it is handed over to the end-user, demanded for cushion factor during transit. Challenges have arisen in protecting products being shipped, preventing breakage, maintaining brand equity and trying to ensure that the packaging is as sustainable as possible. Much of the emphasis in ecommerce has been on the secondary packaging required for shipping products from distribution centres to customer. Using the optimum sized packaging is important to control packaging costs.Concerns Flexibles such as stand-up pouches and pillow pouches are becoming the packaging of choice, due to their improving barrier properties that provide longer shelf life, reduced material usage, transportation advantages and better retail display. While flexible packaging is the fastest-growing packaging segment, the one factor limiting its growth is its recyclability. Since many of these packages are laminated structures, they cannot be recycled and end up going to wastage. Most of the organisations have to work on ways to solve this problem. Variations and nonunderstanding of recycling programs, unclear labelling, and inaccurate recyclability claims make proper recycling a challenge.There will be a time when 'how to recycle' process
will be mentioned in the artwork. Since the manufacturer on packaging material will only know which plastic granule goes into the package and how it should be recycled. Hence during vendor selection of packaging materials, this process will be one of the criteria for evaluating the vendor. Conclusion Undoubtedly, packaging’s challenges will grow even more complicated in the future. The booming global population, changing diet habits across the globe, exchange of culture, and need for green packaging, will increase demand for different types of packaging products. Over the last 25 years, packaging evolutions focused on lighter, ecofriendly, protective and attractive packaging. This trend will continue in future. Sustainability and environmental factors continue to play an important role in packaging development which will continue to demand for green or recyclable packaging that does not add to pollution problems.
Reference links for images tps://www.bing.com/images/sea rchq=crocin+packs+free+images&id=F4B417DCEEA62E06 6B4332821353E820705BFF5C& FORM=IQFRBA https://www.bing.com/searchq= amrutanjan+balm+free+images&form=EDGTCT&qs=PF& cvid=d3b5340703454324a2b7a2 4b635b56f0&refig=e29691c51c9 b42bda65c8b476c9aeb57&cc= US&setlang=enUS&plvar=0&PC=ASTS
INFRASTRUCTURE VENDOR NEWS
Waters Corporation Announces 2025 Sustainability Goals The company advances its sustainability initiatives by announcing first-ever five-year goals and committing to reporting its progress annually WATERS CORPORATION recently announced its 2025 sustainability goals and simultaneously announced a commitment to report its sustainability progress annually. These goals were developed following a comprehensive materiality assessment and are published in Waters’ latest sustainability report, which covers activities and progress from 2018 and key highlights from 2019. “Our focus on sustainability is stronger than ever, and we’re building on that momentum to establish our first-ever set of five-year sustainability goals. Our 2025 goals underscore our commitment to deliver benefit to all stakeholders, including our customers, employees, shareholders and society,” commented Chris O’Connell, Chairman and CEO of Waters Corporation. “We have reduced our greenhouse gas footprint by nearly 10 per cent, increased the percentage of women in leadership positions and on our Board of Directors, and developed efforts to address global food and water safety. Through these actions and our new goals, we expect greater value creation for all of our stakeholders.” A comprehensive stakeholder materiality assessment performed in 2018 identified and prioritised the company’s five 2025 sustainability goals: Advance Our Innovation Ecosystem: We will systematically implement measurable, sustainable practices in how we innovate, develop, and deliver our products. Reduce Our Environmental Impact: We will improve our operational performance by de-
creasing environmental impact and increasing natural resource efficiency. Enhance Our Sustainable Supply Chain: We will advance an end-to-end product and supply chain sustainability program that identifies opportunities in engineering, procurement and operations to reduce the environmental impact of our products and supply chain. Lead by Example in Our Employee Development and Engagement: We continue to focus on the employees we have today – and the employees we will need tomorrow – through programs and initiatives that drive diversity, inclusion, and
A comprehensive stakeholder materiality assessment performed in 2018 identified and prioritised the company’s five 2025 sustainability goals
development. Nurture Our Culture of Health, Safety and Well-being: We will foster an attitude of awareness, preparedness, and responsiveness across our workplace and throughout our supply chain. In addition to detailing the 2025 goals, the sustainability report highlights key advancements the company made in 2018. These include: Increased the representation of women on Waters’ Board of Directors to 30 per cent and signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge. Achieved global renewable energy use of 9 per cent and a
greenhouse gas reduction of approximately 9 per cent since 2016. Developed a proprietary employee success model to articulate the behaviors and attributes that will strengthen the values and vision of the company. Invested $215 million in a state-of-the-art precision chemistry manufacturing facility that will employ elements of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards. Established the International Food and Water Research Centre in Singapore to address the growing global challenges of food and water security and safety.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
ABB and B&R launch first fully integrated Machine-Centric Robotics solution Fully integrating ABB’s robots into its automation systems means that B&R will now be able to supply machine builders with machine automation and robotics from a single source B&R, A unit of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business, announced the integration of ABB robots into its automation portfolio. With the ability to offer unprecedented levels of machine flexibility and precision, merging robotics with machine control into one unified architecture will enable manufacturers to embrace the trend of mass customization and optimize their lot size one processes. Fully integrating ABB’s robots into its automation systems means that B&R will now be able to supply machine builders with machine automation and robotics from a single source. Machine builders will be able to buy their robots from B&R along with all their control, I/O and drive components. “The integration of ABB’s robot fleet into the B&R portfolio makes us a true one-stopshop. We are the only company to offer industrial automation customers the entire range of integrated hardware and software solutions around control, actuation, robotics, sensing and analytics and electrification. Our strength lies in our ability to combine ABB and B&R products into one solution, supported by our deep application expertise. This will help manufacturers increase their flexibility, at all levels including machines, to support shorter product cycles and to make much smaller lots of greater variety,” said Sami Atiya, President of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business. Machine builders will be able to choose from a wide range of ABB robots, including articulated arm, SCARA, delta and palletizer robots in various sizes and with various payloads. This is particularly im-
34 EXPRESS PHARMA January 1-15, 2020
portant for machine applications where a high degree of synchronization with other components is required, for example with picking solutions. With ABB robots integrated into the machine automation system, customers will benefit from an unprecedented level of synchronization between robotics and machine control. Since the robot will no longer require a dedicated controller, all interfaces between the machine and the robot are eliminated, while the fact that all axes and sensors will now com-
municate on a common network increases precision to the previously unimaginable microsecond range. Integrating robotics and automation also means only one controller and one engineering system will be needed for development, diagnostics and maintenance, so there will no longer be a need for an extra control cabinet just for the robot, which will save floor space. More user-friendly programming is another decisive advantage that comes from combining robotics with ma-
chine control. Instead of programming a robotics application in one development environment and a machine application in another, there will only be one application and one development environment. This will help to reduce development times significantly. With the ready-made software components of mapp Technology, developers can quickly set up and configure the machine application, including robotics, without any knowledge of special robotics languages. “Our newly developed integrated solution enables us to support machine builders, enhancing their processes and future-proofing their automation investments. Traditionally, the robot is a self-contained system, with its own controller and its own control cabinet. Engineering, diagnostics and maintenance are all performed using dedicated systems, and with specific robotics language, you often need a specialist programmer,” said Hans Wimmer,
Managing Director of B&R. “With the incorporation of ABB robots into one simple architecture we create a fully integrated automation system. For machine developers, it now makes no difference whether they must integrate a single motion control axis or an entire robot into the machine.” Synchronisation between sensors and robot motion will also become easier with integration. For example the result of a quality inspection with a B&R vision camera can be converted into a control command for the ABB robot in less than a millisecond, so defective workpieces can be removed from the production process without manual intervention or slowing the manufacturing process. Since the machine builder no longer needs to use separate hardware, communication networks and applications, he is able to achieve much tighter synchronization between the robot and other machine components. The movements of the robot and all of the machine's motion control axes can be coordinated with unprecedented microsecond precision, boosting the productivity of the machine and the output of the process. The robots are programmed in B&R's universal engineering environment just like all other automation components, while in the digital twin the user can simulate and optimize the machine's entire motion sequence, including the robotics, before the machine is built. This makes engineering and development both faster and cheaper, which in turn lowers the threshold for machine builders looking to implement robotics in their production machinery and increases their return on investment.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Rockwell Automation launches Digital Partnership Program The collaborative approach of the Digital Partner Program enables clients to more effectively leverage the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and drive measurable growth outcomes for their businesses ROCKWELL AUTOMATION unveiled its Digital Partner Program to delegates at Automation Fair 2019, hosted jointly with members of its PartnerNetwork, on 19-20 November in Chicago, Illinois. The industry leading Partner Program will streamline Rockwell Automation’s customer offering, elevating its digital expertise and transformation capabilities. The new program is strengthened by collaborations with new partners announced at Automation Fair including Accenture, ANSYS and EPLAN, as well as enhancing the existing strategic alliances with Microsoft, and PTC. The collaborative approach of the Digital Partner Program enables clients to more effectively leverage the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and drive measurable growth outcomes for their businesses. Through the Program, businesses can consult with industry advisors to create roadmaps for their digital initiatives and learn how industrial IoT concepts like digital twin, the factory of the future and a connected workforce can improve their uptime and efficiency. During implementation, businesses will have access to integrated hardware, software and turnkey systems from industry leaders that improve business performance leveraging their existing assets. “Seamlessly connecting all levels of a business and turning raw data into powerful insights happens when devices are integrated and data is standardized,” said Blake Moret, CEO and chairman of Rockwell Automation. “No one vendor can do this alone. Instead, companies need an ecosystem of
proven partners with the right mix of expertise and technologies to expand what’s humanly possible. We’re proud to expand our work with existing strategic alliance partners like
Microsoft and PTC, and add new partners like Accenture, ANSYS, and EPLAN in this effort.” The event also celebrated record breaking attendance
from industry stakeholders, coming together to collaborate, network and learn about the latest innovations in industry automation. Across the twoday event, over 19,000 makers,
builders and innovators came together from across the globe to hear about the latest technological developments and discuss industry trends impacting today’s manufacturing climate such as digitization, cybersecurity, the skills gap, and STEM. In addition, to launching the Digital Partner Program, Rockwell Automation reflected on a string of recent announcements, including the acquisition of Indian integrator, MESTECH. Joe Sousa, president, Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation, commented: “Expanding human possibility is the driving force of Rockwell Automation, and that is reflected in the investments we make and the partners we collaborate with. We have unrivalled relationships with our partners and are always exploring opportunities to expand our work together, as well as add new partners to our ecosystem. Unlocking potential and productivity through automated and connected innovation is what we do, but by combining the technology and expertise of multiple stakeholders we can accelerate this process for our customers. Particularly in a region as diverse as Asia Pacific, our partners are integral to our ability to create the most efficient and productive solutions for our customers. While we have partnered with MESTECH for a long time, our recent acquisition of the business further expands our capabilities. We have ambitious plans for 2020 in Asia Pacific and the acquisition of MESTECH brings new expertise to the table, reaching even more customers and bringing solutions to life even faster.”
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INFRASTRUCTURE
LANXESS lends support for Nagda,MP, through its CSR initiatives The company has commited to construct of a state-of-the-art ICCU facility at Nagda Civil Hospital in Madhya Pradesh
LANXESS India has committed itself to setting up a five bed state-of-the-art Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU) at the Nagda Civil Hospital, Madhya Pradesh, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) outreach in Nagda. Neelanjan Banerjee, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, LANXESS India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shri Dilip Singh Gurjar, Member of Legislative Assembly from Khachrod - Nagda constituency and Chairman of Rogi Kalyan Samiti at an event organized at the Nagda Civil Hospital in the presence of media and esteemed dignitaries from the state and local admin-
36 EXPRESS PHARMA January 1-15, 2020
istration in Nagda. LANXESS India has pledged Rs 1.60 crores for its CSR projects in Nagda for the year 2019-2020. Apart from setting up the ICCU at the Nagda Civil Hospital, the funds will be utilised for other projects like installing solar street lights in Durgapura and Mehatwas, setting up drinking water storages in Takrawda and Bhikampur, providing buses for transportation of government school children and speciallyabled children and greening of the Chambal riverbed, a step towards increasing ground water levels. These projects are in line with LANXESS’ vision for sus-
The Company has pledged Rs 1.60 crores for its CSR projects in Nagda for the year 20192020 in line with its vision for sustainable development
tainable development and a better quality of life for the people of the Nagda region. Speaking on the occasion, Neelanjan Banerjee, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, LANXESS India said, “LANXESS has always kept the interests of the people of Nagda in mind before undertaking CSR projects in the region. With our recent announcement of our commitment to Climate Neutrality by 2040, we have increased our focus on topics of environment conservation. In the coming years, you will see more such projects from LANXESS taking shape. We take immense pride in working
for the betterment of the people and will continue to do so in future.” Commenting on the projects, Sanjay Singh, Site Head Nagda, LANXESS India said, “These projects are in alignment with our vision of sustainable development and will help bring in a qualitative change in the lives of the residents. These projects will help us build a stronger and socio – corporate bond as we seek your support in effecting constructive change in the region. I also thank the Municipal Corporation of Nagda and the Nagda Civil Hospital for seeing merit in our efforts and partnering us.”
INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCT
Traffic Doors and Cold Storage TAKE THE doors used in food processing/handling plants for traffic going in and out of chilled and frozen areas for storage and production. At all of these facilities vehicles go through doorways hundreds if not thousands of times a day to meet split-second schedules. At the same time, temperature differentials can run 35 degrees Fahrenheit or more, and there needs to be protection against heat transmission through these 80 foot (ft)2 or larger openings, threatening both energy bills and product quality. Plants and DCs regard getting product rapidly from the receiving dock to the shipping dock as crucial to profitability. Also important is maintaining proper temperatures to protect food quality where product is handled or processed. Not only is the desired flavor and mouth feel threatened but also product that is warmer than it should be promotes the growth of bacteria and other microorganism contaminants.
Safe at Faster Speeds Doors play a key role in protecting the low-temp environment—if specified and used properly. In the storage and handling areas maximum temperatures for vegetables are 55 degrees Fahrenheit, dairy products are 34 degrees Fahrenheit, meat at 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and ice-cream at 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Waiting outside the processing or storage room can be temperatures that are 30 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. That warmer air can be transmitted through walls and door panels. As for walls, the higher the R-value for the insulation the better. But is that necessarily true for doors? Bear in mind that doors have to get out of the way of traffic. So here is the dilemma for facility food processing/handling facility managers—do you cover the
tion through dynamic thermal performance characteristics when the door is not closed. RESPECT THE COLD CHAIN AND REDUCE ICING Gandhi Automation’s flexible high-speed freezer doors help to meet important cold storage requirements: stable cold temperatures, minimal energy consumption, respect for the cold chain and the prevention of icing. The exceptional seal and fast cycle of our high-speed freezer doors keep cold and dry air in and hot and moist air out of your freezer room. The loss of conditioned air is limited and less energy is used.
MINIMIZE TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS doorway with a thick panel door and slow down material handling, or compromise the environment to enable fast traffic flow? Not only is product put at risk if the temperature rises, but to maintain spec temperatures chillers have to work harder, start up more often, and use more energy while shortening their performance life. Recent research from the Door and Access System Manufacturers Association (DASMA) provides some help in making this choice. The study, “High-Speed Doors and Thermal Performance,” finds that today’s industrial and commercial buildings can deliver high door speed while at the same time save energy, depending on doorway factors. The DASMA research took into consideration common Ufactor, air leakage, and motor horsepower values in a comparison of high-speed doors to conventionally operating insulated doors. Turns out highspeed doors become more energy efficient when cycled 55 or more times per day, according to this analysis. As you may know, in a busy facility door can
be cycled hundreds if not thousands of times a day. While 55 cycles are the minimum, high-speed doors are typically specified for applications requiring well over hundreds of cycles daily. Thus, the doors studied demonstrate superior overall energy efficiency
when meeting the demand for high-cycle operation in a building. This new approach views the doors as dynamic parts of the building. High-speed doors, in addition to providing rapid access, also contribute to the efficiency of a low temp opera-
Minimal temperature variations limit icing in your freezer room. An optional insulating curtain on the warm side reduces condensation and icing. This means less need for ice and frost removal, no danger of slipping and no damages to your refrigeration devices. In order to prevent accumulation of ice in the side guides, our cold storage high speed roll up doors are equipped with low consumption electric heating cables in the side posts. Gandhi Automation’s Prime Freezer and Freezer Duo high speed doors offer fastest, most energy-efficient insulated door increases productivity and reduces energy costs for cold storage cold storage, food and beverage and warehousing environments and food and beverage operations. Contact details: Gandhi Automations Chawda Commercial Centre, Link Road, Malad (West), Mumbai - 400064, Tel: +91-22-66720200 / 66720300 (200 lines) +91-22-66720201 For enquiries via e-mail sales@geapl.co.in Customer Support customercare@geapl.co.in
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Tel: 86550 15819 email: info@ptepl.com www.ptepl.com EXPRESS PHARMA
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PVC RIGID FILM FOR BLISTER FORMING
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Piramal Swasthya and The Rockefeller Foundation announce partnership to accelerate India’s public health transformation Collaboration will harness innovative digital technology to support the Government of India’s vision to provide quality healthcare for all
P
iramal Swasthya Management and Research Institute, the primary healthcare initiative of Piramal Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation today announced a strategic partnership to align with and support the Government of India’s vision to ensure Universal Health Coverage. In the initial stages, the partnership aims to set a global example by leveraging digital technology to reduce preventable deaths amongst mothers and children living in Aspirational Districts and tribal areas. The Piramal Swasthya and Rockefeller teams will be working closely with the government on building cuttingedge primary health innovations and scaling them through policy interventions. The partnership will strengthen healthcare systems by integrating technologies such as artificial intelligence for evidence-based decision making. The idea is to save maternal and child deaths by providing appropriate and timely insights leading to effective policy making and implementation of focused interventions. The Piramal-Rockefeller partnership focuses on five of the 25 Aspirational Districts that are mentored by NITI Aayog. They are also part of the 117 Aspirational Districts identified by the Government of India as having urgent health and development needs. Many residents of these districts are members of tribal populations, who have significantly worse health outcomes than non-tribal populations. The
maternal mortality rate in India is 122 deaths per 100,000 live births, while in the tribal communities it is even higher. Similarly, other health indicators such as infant mortality rates, child malnutrition rates, and incidence of malaria and tuberculosis are much higher among tribal communities than the general population. At the outset, the PiramalRockefeller partnership will focus on two main streams of work: Develop and test novel approaches for using digital technology—including mobile communications, predictive
analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning— to more efficiently and effectively deliver primary healthcare services to vulnerable people in their communities. Assess how vital information on community health needs can be better collected and analyzed through digital tools, so that the government and others can make informed, real-time decisions about targeting health resources. “We are delighted to partner with The Rockefeller Foundation to leverage our combined strengths and experiences and to co-create
transformative solutions for equitable primary care health services in India. Health should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for some,” said Dr Swati Piramal, Vice Chairperson, Piramal Group, and Director, Piramal Swasthya. “India is at the cusp of a historic public health transformation, and we are hopeful that this partnership will accelerate government goals to democratise health across the country. Through this partnership, we are committed to building an evidence-based decisionmaking culture in the government’s primary healthcare ecosystem in India, and insti-
tutionalizing it. Piramal Swasthya is also building a technology platform for primary care which is going to be a public good. The platform will help create better ways for the government health workers to make informed decisions when it comes to identifying issues in primary healthcare. The aim is to create a technology and evidence driven system as a public good in public primary healthcare which will help create better governance, accountability and knowledge repository.” “Digital innovation offers tremendous promise to deliver quality healthcare to more people, especially the most vulnerable among our communities,” said Dr Rajiv J Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation. “By working with Piramal Swasthya, we aim to accelerate India’s commitment to using digital technology to promote health equity, which will serve as an exemplar for the world.” The Piramal-Rockefeller partnership brings together two impact- and outcomedriven organisations with a robust history of collaboration with governments to strengthen public health programs for vulnerable people. Both teams stand committed towards complementing and supplementing the Indian Government’s vision of Universal Health Coverage. This partnership will work towards co-creating high impact solutions that will contribute significantly towards bringing a change in the space of primary public healthcare that India needs.
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HR
Ray Crane to take over as Vice President of Worldwide Operations at Pelican BioThermal Crane previously served as Director of Operations, EMEA at the same organisation PELICAN BIOTHERMAL, a global company engaged in temperature controlled packaging, officially announced the appointment of Ray Crane as vice president of worldwide operations. Until this appointment, he served as Director of Operations, EMEA, at Pelican BioThermal. Crane brings many years of manufacturing operations, supply chain and engineering experience to his new role within the company. David Williams, president of Pelican BioThermal, said, “Ray continues to play a pivotal part as a member of the BioThermal division’s senior management team focusing on our global operations.” “Throughout his management career Ray’s focus has been on delivering the highest standards of product quality with excellent customer
service levels. He continuously challenges and reduces costs, along with improving operational efficiencies and effectiveness through the development of individuals, teams and organizations,” he added. Before joining the BioThermal division, Crane served as director of operations for Pelican Products. Prior to that, he held various operational leadership positions in a range of industries, including high volume disposable medical devices, plastic packaging for food industries and consumer electronics equipment. Pelican BioThermal is a division of Pelican Products, a portfolio company of Behrman Capital, a private equity investment firm based in New York and San Francisco.
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