Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review March 2021 by New Media B2B

MARCH 2021 Volume 48 | Number 3

years www.pharmacos.co.za

Fragrances that touch all the senses

Sustainability in the fragrance industry

Modern excipients to solve your formulation issues

Labels that push boundaries in brand protection

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Volume 48 | Number 3 www.pharmacos.co.za

March 2021

Contents 18

6 News Mibelle launches SantEnergy for hair care Energise packaging with ColorDirection 2022 SABS publishes SANS 490 amendment

10 Fragrances

20 Contract Manufacturing

38 Labelling Solutions to protect pharma packaging

Wrapsa implements new systems

Labels by Rusbar Volumicious case study

New SpeedMixer shortens development process

The benefits of centralised label management

24 Pharma Focus: Excipients

2021 trends inspired by the Mediterranean

Multifunctional lactose grade for DC formulations

Simple solutions for more sustainable fragrances

GalenIQ filler-binder for vitamin D tablets

New scent collections from Chemgrit Cosmetics

Overcome moisture issues with starch-based excipients

Düllberg Konzentra celebrates ‘me-moments’

30 Clean Beauty

18 Industry Talk Addressing global inequalities in air pollution

Combatting counterfeit beauty in e-commerce Advance sustainability goals with Technomelt Supra Eco Engage app enhances brand protection Simple, effective and secure booklet labels

Bragan to expand its personal care portfolio

48 Association News

Clariant’s 100% natural preservative booster

Highlights from the Coschem AGM

On the cover Fragrances that touch all the senses

The skin care science of silanols IFF-Lucas Meyer Cosmetics presents IBR-Chill

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

FROM THE EDITOR

Adapting to the pandemic

nlike the increase in demand for DIY hair colour and home-based nail care kits, many online reports point to a decline in perfume sales over the past 12 months. Understandably, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been felt widely, with virtually no industry unaffected, not even the fragrance industry. The ripple effect can be seen throughout the industry’s supply chain, from shipping delays that are hindering manufacturing to raw materials harvesting, which has been negatively affected by lockdown restrictions. Featured on our cover this month, o6 Agencies tells us more about how the company is managing the distribution challenges brought about by COVID-19. We also take a look at this year’s fragrance trends, which include environmental awareness and sustainability. These two trends are forcing the beauty and fragrance industries to become more transparent, to source ingredients in a more ethical way and to offer recyclable or more eco-friendly packaging solutions. Turn to page 10 now to read about how these trends are set to influence product development in the coming months. Excipients take centre stage in our pharma focus on page 24. This month, we bring you a series of informative articles on how to solve challenges in the tabletting process. Beneo’s sweet filler-binder, galenIQ is discussed as an ideal excipient for producing vitamin D supplements; Colorcon looks at how to overcome moisture challenges with its range of starch-based excipients; and DFE Pharma reveals how the multifunctional

excipient SuperTab 24AN enables pharma manufacturers to extend the potential use of direct compression. Our personal care ingredients feature is centred on clean beauty. Although many mainstream South African beauty and cosmetics brands are still warming up to the concept, the clean beauty movement has taken the global market by storm. Clean beauty brands are not necessarily those that are natural and organic – instead they are more focused on formulating with minimal ingredients, particularly those that are proven safe and effective. In line with this trend, on page 33 you can to find out more about the science of silanols in skin care and how Clariant is solving preservation challenges with its new 100% natural booster, Velsan CGE. Anti-counterfeiting and brand protection matters are also discussed in P&C Review March. In our labelling feature on page 38, we focus on everything from tamper evident labels and security tapes to apps that elevate product and brand verification, allowing consumers to instantly verify whether a product is genuine.

CEO of the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines of Southern Africa

Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University

CTFA - The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association of South Africa GBM - Generic and Biosimilar Medicines of Southern Africa

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

LAYOUT & DESIGN: David Kyslinger SUB-EDITOR: Katrien Smit CONTRIBUTORS: Ute Back, Marly Bastiaansen, Emmanuel Coste, Dr Tom Fricke, Jörg Grohmann, Pauline Janssen, Pierre-Gilles Markioli, Ken Moir, Lionel Valenti

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COSCHEM - The Society of Cosmetic Chemists of South Africa HPA - The Health Products Association of Southern Africa AMA - T he Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association of South Africa

Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review is published by New Media 11 times a year and circulates to manufacturers, packers and distributors of pharmaceuticals, health products, cosmetics, detergents, soaps, toiletries and allied products. The journal is an up-to-date source of reference for company directors, factory and production managers, marketing executives, engineers, import agents, buyers and research personnel. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of its contents and information given to readers, neither the editor, publisher, or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom. All rights reserved. © Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review is printed and bound by Novus Print - Cape Town. Copyright: all rights reserved. ISSN 0257-8719

Celebrating 25 years in business

Proud suppliers of Flavors & Fragrances

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NEWS

No colds and flu season

presents a challenge for Adcock Ingram

The Alpla Group will invest an average €50mn a year up to 2025 on expanding and globalising its recycling activities

Expansion and globalisation of Alpla’s recycling activities The Alpla Group, a world leader in the development, production and recycling of plastic packaging, is to invest up to €50mn a year on average between now and 2025 to further expanding its recycling activities. It plans to globalise its activities in the area of highquality recyclates, in order to close the materials cycle in as many regions as possible. In 2018, the group signed the Global Commitment of the New Plastics Economy (an initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation) and committed to spending a total of €50m to expand its recycling activities up to 2025. Alpla is now significantly increasing this investment target. From 2021, an average of €50m a year will be ring-fenced specifically for recycling. “We have been very active in the past two years. We succeeded in initiating bottle-to-bottle projects around the world, including in Asia, Europe and Central America. We nevertheless continue to see increasing demand on the part of our customers worldwide,” explains Georg Lässer, head of corporate recycling at Alpla. This sustained demand gives the group the opportunity to kick-start further investment projects. Günther Lehner, chairman of the company advisory board, stresses that Alpla will focus on high-quality application areas in new regions: “Our aim is to establish a bottle-to-bottle cycle – including in regions in which the recycling of waste does not currently play a large part.” The group sees long-term development opportunities in countries outside of Europe, including in Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, China and India. Its move into HDPE recycling in 2019 represents another milestone for Alpla. This is being continued with the construction of a plant in Toluca, Mexico, which is scheduled to go into production in autumn 2021. The company is also currently creating a PET and HDPE recycling plant in Thailand together with a cooperation partner. Capacities at the existing plants in Austria, Poland and Germany have been expanded over the past two years and just recently, Alpla announced the installation of an rPET extrusion system at one of its own preform plants in Italy. In all, the annual capacity of the Alpla recycling companies, joint ventures and partnerships amounts to approximately 130 000t tonnes of PET and 60 000t of PE.

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

The Adcock Ingram Group reported a 4%

growth in turnover

increase in turnover for the six-month

was supported

period to 31 December 2020. The group

by a strong

achieved these sales in challenging

performance

trading conditions brought about by

in the ARV

COVID-19, in a depressed economy, and

portfolio

due to declines in demand for certain

following

categories of medicine and products.

orders from the

“Despite these challenges, COVID-19

state, but the division

has also presented the company with

was impacted by the lower levels of

opportunities to adapt to an ever-

patients that consulted doctors, lower

changing environment, and at the same

dispensary traffic in pharmacies and

time deliver on our promise of ‘adding

the postponement of elective surgeries

value to life’,” says Andy Hall, CEO.

which negatively impacted a number

Turnover increased by 4% to

of key portfolios. The renal segment

R3.8bn, driven by an increase in the mix

in the hospital division benefitted

of 4.9%, which includes Plush shoe and

from an increased demand for acute

household care products, and an average

renal dialysis due to COVID-19, which

price realisation of 4.7%, with organic

compensated for a decline in demand

volumes declining by 6.0%. The gross

for products used in elective surgeries,

margin declined from 38.4% to 34.5%,

trauma and medical cases, as a result

adversely impacted by the unfavourable

of the virus.

exchange rate, a relatively unfavourable

“To date, the company has recorded

sales mix and lower factories recoveries

364 positive COVID-19 cases, with 357

at Clayville due to the decrease in demand

full recoveries. We have sadly lost six

for cough and cold products. Operating

of our employees to the virus and our

expenditure decreased by 4.4% resulting

thoughts remain with their families,

in an 11.7% decrease in trading profit to

friends and colleagues. The company

R433mn (December 2019: R490mn).

and its people continue to play a crucial

The commercial divisions have had

role as an essential service provider and

to operate under some extremely

we have been fortunate enough to be

challenging conditions. The consumer

able to continue producing and supplying

division displayed a laudable

medications, particularly life-saving

performance, supported by significant

medicines such as intravenous fluids,

demand for immune-boosting products

ARVs, and other acute medication. The

due to the pandemic, as well as the

pandemic highlighted the importance

addition of the Plush portfolio. The

of our frontline healthcare workers who

OTC division’s decrease in turnover

have worked tirelessly to save lives. We

was as a result of the absence of a

applaud them and are grateful for the

cold and flu season in South Africa

selfless role they continue to play,”

in 2020. The prescription division’s

Hall concludes.

Innovative extract promises to energise hair follicles New from Mibelle Biochemistry,

It also increases hair growth as well

SantEnergy is a distinctive polyphenol-

as hair density, leaving hair appearing

rich extract that is sustainably sourced

abundant and invigorated.

by wild harvesting aerial parts of the Yerba Santa plant. Known as mountain balm and the holy herb, Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) is a member of the Borage family (Boraginaceae) and

The benefits of SantEnergy include: • energising hair follicles through a caffeine-like effect • protecting hair follicles from oxidative stress

is native to the Pacific Coast of North

• delaying ageing of the hair follicles

America, especially California.

• increasing hair growth and hair

SantEnergy optimally protects hair

density.

from internal and external damages,

Mibelle Biochemistry is represented in

delays the ageing of the hair follicle.

South Africa by Carst & Walker.

ColorDirection 2022 trend forecast

NEWS

brings bright colours to packaging Care and respect will be high on the agenda in 2022, as we step out with a brighter attitude and deeper optimism for global change. As the world recovers from a fragile time of vulnerability, people will have emerging confidence that positive choices can make a difference in their daily lives. Milliken’s ColorDirection 2022 Emerging Confidence trends forecast offers brands a way to reflect these values, and society’s newfound optimism, channelling positive consumer choice with the hopeful imagery of bright and optimistic colour in product packaging. Welcoming Sunshine is a fresh yellow that

exciting new possibilities of passion and

gives a bright optimism to your product range

growth. It is urgent and active, reminding our

and a new feel to your brand. It brings the

eyes to smile and look forward.

positive warmth of mornings and the energy of

Radiating Richness will add a sense of

Refresh your brand’s image and portfolio with Milliken’s ColorDirection 2022 Emerging Confidence range of globally leading colorants

Connecting Lives is a colour that brings tranquillity, trust and peace front and centre. It reminds us that we all share our skies and waters

light to your portfolio, laying out the potential for

comfort and depth to your colour range for

and the feelings they evoke are universal. It’s a

new consumer joy.

positive products. It is a balanced shade that

strong blue of togetherness, breath and clarity

is less about luxury and more about self-care,

that signals freshness and positive action.

Soothing Heat is a strong, warm orange that directs attention to any product. Evoking the

inclusion and optimism for consumers looking

flame of a log fire or the nostalgic crispness

for meaning.

of bright autumn leaves, the colour reassures, prepares and energises.

With brands looking ahead to refresh their image and portfolio to meet the growing need for

Freshening Shoots is a bright, vibrant green

positive choices, Milliken’s ColorDirection 2022

symbolising new growth and nature combined.

Emerging Confidence range of globally leading

Few colours suggest life better than this,

colorants will give your products the eye-catching

happiness of freshly-cut flowers brought

saying it is time to start over in an ecological,

confidence needed to sway consumers as they

indoors from a summer garden, imagining

sustainable and thoughtful way.

look for companies and brands to believe in.

Blossoming Joy is a colour that evokes the

Covax initiative crucial to provide COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries to deliver vaccine doses as soon as they become available. This rapidly approved financing, guaranteed by the European Fund for Sustainable Development and alongside €100mn grant support from the European Commission to Approved financing is already supporting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in 92 low- and middle-income countries

COVAX AMC, is already supporting access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in 92 low- and middle-income countries. The EIB is in discussions with Gavi, the

President of the European Investment

the EIB has already enabled Covax to make one

Bank (EIB), Werner Hoyer has welcomed

billion doses of vaccines available in low- and

vaccine alliance, about new financing to

global engagement to scale up support for

middle-income countries through our largest

further scale up access to COVID-19 vaccines

the international Covax vaccine-access

ever support for public health. G7 global

by high-risk and vulnerable populations in

facility. The G7 summit has been dedicated

leaders highlighted the moral imperative to

low- and middle-income countries.

to vaccination and will help to accelerate

ensure global access to COVID-19 vaccines.

international cooperation to tackle the

The EIB stands ready to provide additional

the coming months following due diligence

COVID-19 pandemic.

backing for Covax and to increase the €500mn

and subject to the final approval of the EIB’s

Team Europe support signed two months ago,”

governing bodies.

“Increased international cooperation is essential to end the pandemic, tackle public health and unlock economic and

Follow up EIB support could be agreed in

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Hoyer comments. In December, the EIB agreed €400mn of

the EIB Group rapidly redirected its business

social recovery. Now that safe and effective

financing to support the participation of

to strengthen public health and economic

COVID-19 vaccines are available, it is essential

low- and middle-income economies in Covax

resilience. The group has provided more

that lower income economies are not left

Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC)

than €26bn of new financing worldwide to

behind. As part of the initiative, team Europe

and accelerate up-front investment essential

immediately respond to the crisis.

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

NEWS

Shop Neopac’s digitally printed tubes online

SANS 490 amendment

redefines minimum alcohol content in sanitisers The South African Bureau of Standards

the ingredients of the product, the

(SABS) has published the amendments

volume and type of alcohol, and the

to the national standard, SANS 490

expiry date of the product.

that specifies the requirements for all

“Since the outbreak of the

alcohol-based hand sanitisers and hand

coronavirus, SABS and its technical

rubs in the form of liquids, gels, foams

committee, together with regulatory

and aerosols. These changes have

authorities, have been working

been driven by global guidelines such

vigorously to review and publish South

as the requirements specified by the

African National Standards that are

World Health Organization and locally

able to respond efficiently to protecting

by the South African Health Products

the health and safety of South African

Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) in the

citizens. Even though SANS 490 was

fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

amended and published in October

The amended South African National

2020, the testing protocols of sanitisers

Standard (SANS) 490 was published

to verify the alcohol content was

in October 2020 and is freely available

implemented prior to the publication of

on the SABS website. The amended

the standard. SAHPRA published the

supersedes the 2013 version and is

requirements for alcohol-based hand

effective from the date of publication.

rubs and sanitisers in July 2020 and

“The amended SANS 490

the amended standard includes those

DigitAll360° offers an intuitive ordering service of digitally printed tubes with high-quality variable printing, precision colour matching, flexible batch sizes and expedited delivery

provides greater and more detailed

Hoffmann Neopac, a global provider of high-

hand rubs. It is now specified that a

or amending national standards is

quality packaging for a broad array of industries and

minimum of 70% alcohol content is

underpinned by international best

applications, has launched a direct purchase microsite

required if alcohol, such as ethanol,

practice principles amongst others,

for DigitAll360°, its digital tube decoration service.

isopropanol or n-propanol is the

consensus development within the SABS

The new marketplace, accessible via shop.neopac.com,

main ingredient; and that 60% alcohol

technical committees (TC) represented

content is required if there are other

by a diverse portfolio of stakeholders.

active ingredients. Solvents such

The SABS TC 1022: Antiseptics,

as acetone (propanone), methanol,

Disinfectants and Detergent-

methylated spirits or other spirits are

disinfectants was responsible for the

not allowed to be used as they can

much-needed amendments.

walks tube customers through an intuitive process that includes downloadable design guides and templates, an initial portfolio of stock tubes from 50mℓ to 200mℓ in volume, simple artwork uploads with 3D renderings and a comprehensive pre-purchase artwork check. DigitAll360° Online shop was developed to meet the demands of beauty start-ups, fast-tracked projects of larger companies and the needs of contract manufacturers or small-quantity pharmacy orders. The service prints photorealistic graphics and text on the entire surface of cylindrical containers. Available for a wide variety of substrates and almost unlimited colour palettes, the benefits include: • unparalleled all-around decoration • unprecedented digital colour matching • digital-level variability • quick delivery

requirements for hand sanitisers and

cause toxicity and even fatalities, if

product requirements,” clarifies Scholtz. The process of developing, reviewing

The duration of testing against

absorbed through one’s skin,” explains

SANS 490, if conducted by SABS, is

Jodi Scholtz, lead administrator.

approximately 20 days. For certification,

Scholtz said that manufacturers

or the ‘SABS Approved’ Mark Scheme

must ensure that they now submit

requirements, the duration is

evidence that their products will retain

approximately three months as audits

their physicochemical properties

of the product and the production

and efficacy, for the duration of the

processes need to be conducted.

expected shelf life of the product

These audits include the provision of

until the expiry date as stated on the

the required documentation of the

product’s label. Packaging must clearly

production processes and shelf testing

indicate the details of the manufacturer,

by the manufacturer.

• increased sustainability with the mono-material PE tube portfolio. “The new site simplifies the most advanced digital tube printing techniques for an intuitive, step-by-step process to designing and decorating precisely the right tube for products in a variety of sectors, especially ones such as health and beauty where shelf impact is paramount,” says Cornelia Schmid, head of marketing for Hoffmann Neopac. “The 3D view and comprehensive artwork checks show customers exactly what their finished tubes will look like. In addition, customers can order a test quantity of individually printed tubes to evaluate the print quality and test the compatibility of their product with the packaging.”

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

According to SANS 490, a minimum of 70% alcohol content is required if alcohol, such as ethanol, isopropanol or n-propanol, is the main ingredient in a hand sanitiser

What’s on in 2021

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Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association AGM 24 June Joburg, South Africa www.aerosol.co.za

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

FRAGRANCES

Transportive scents and fragrance trends inspired by the Mediterranean

With consumers looking for uplifting sensory experiences from their beauty products, 2021 fragrance trends are embracing all that is wonderful and pleasurable. We spoke to Adam Owen of o6 Agencies to find out more about their take on this year’s trends and how the company is managing distribution challenges brought about by COVID-19.

ragrance trends for 2021 will see a comeback of vintage plants with ageold virtues. More than ever, the world is focused on living a life of being real. Enjoying the pleasures of family and friends, eating healthy and connecting with the amazing nature around us, as all these influence our wellbeing and beauty. Consumers are looking for products that embrace natural vitality, sensual earthiness and authentic age-old traditions. Fragrances that communicate an easy-going, healthy and passionate lifestyle, which connect with a joyful mood and positive energy. Fragrance ingredients from o6 Agencies are positioned to translate attraction, with vibrant, lush tropical ingredients and seductive scents that enhance the sensual side of products. It is all about reconnecting with your body through rich embracing creams, tingling gels and reactive product formulas that respond to the senses when applied. To make the skin care regime a wonderful and pleasurable experience, o6 Agencies offers fragrances that fit product concepts aimed at giving consumers an unrivalled sensory experience.

SUB-TROPICAL SCENTS “We have drawn inspiration from the Mediterranean,” says Adam Owen of o6 Agencies. “Under the warm sun and crisp ocean breeze, Mediterranean nature offers a fantastic choice of natural and healthy ingredients. Sundried vegetables, mouth-watering fruits, natural oils and a beautiful selection of herbs and spices

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

drive the desire to lead a healthier way of life, inspired by the revival of age-old ingredients known for their specific virtues.” Revitalising citrus aromatics, Spanish lime, olive leaf, thyme, mint and fennel are key areas of Mediterranean nature where

bedroom will contribute to better separating work life from family life in the home space.”

the fragrances are focused. Other elements include caper extract, carob bean and Sicilian blood orange. These ingredients conjure up memories of a Mediterranean summer of days gone by. Bright floral blends of orange blossom and jasmine, combined with creamy nuances of coconut and milky sandalwood, soft vanilla and hints of dry woody notes, allow consumers to escape to sundrenched destinations.

COVID-19 pandemic have and are continuing to cause unforeseen delays both at the ports of dispatch, as well as when shipments arrive at local ports of entry. Now more than ever, o6 Agencies is working more closely with its customers’ planning and forecasting teams. Holding larger quantities of customer-specific fragrance stocks locally, better ensures that shipping delays do not affect the ability of its customers to manufacture their products timeously. “This has driven us to increase the number of general wash-off and leave on standard fragrance variants we can offer ad-hoc. Fragrances such as apple, peach, strawberry and lavender are staples used by almost all manufacturers. However, to differentiate ourselves, apart from expanding on these ‘general’ fragrances to include more sophisticated and product specific locally-stocked options, we have re-worked our ‘staple’ scent offering to include bolder, more pronounced and refined notes,” says Owen. “Because we want our general-use fragrances to still offer body and modern fusions.” o6 Agencies has also expanded its distribution network with a warehousing facility in Durban, KZN, which will include a fine fragrance small pack division of Ross & Foxwell. Being fully operational and holding customers stock out of Johannesburg, Cape Town and now Durban means the company is better equipped to ensure seamless and speedy supply of all orders. It is also in a better position to cater to its customers’ needs and demands. •

SUPERIOR HOME FRAGRANCES As more people are working remotely and no longer in massive office buildings, Owen anticipates the demand for sophisticated air care scents will increase. “Smell can motivate us, stimulate our minds, invigorate us and help us to relax. Working from home in a more relaxed and comfortable environment will call for the need to separate the work space from our living and family spaces,” he explains. “Having fragrance diffusers with notes of vibrant spearmint, lime and citrus blends in our work spaces will help to keep focused and inspired. In family areas, homely scent diffusers fragranced with notes of dried coconut, milky fruity tones of sliced pear and sparkling peachy notes will be effective, while calming lavender, sage and chamomile fragrances diffusing in the

"We have re-worked our ‘staple’ scent offering to include bolder, more pronounced and refined notes"

SUPPLY CHAIN AND STOCK IMPROVEMENTS Global shipping constraints caused by the

o6 Agencies – www.o6southafrica.com

2020/21 P&C Review and Symrise

P&C Review and Symrise are unveiling a re-energised New Product Competition that is relevant to all players in the South African cosmetics industry. The 2020/21 P&C Review/Symrise New Product Competition will now be judged according to the following market segments: • Mass/Masstige • Prestige • Privé Label The entries scoring the highest in each of the three segments will all be named winners of the 2020/21 P&C Review/Symrise New Product Competition.

Who is eligible to enter: • Local and international personal care, hair care, skin care, beauty and cosmetics brands, whose products are available in South Africa. • Brand owners, private label or house brands, manufacturers, retailers or distributors who have launched new products between 1 January 2019 and May 2021.

review Pharmaceutical & & Cosmetic

All entries will receive confidential reports with extensive feedback from our panel of expert judges, who collectively hold over 100 years’ experience in their respective fields. Each product/range entered into the 2020/21 New Product Competition will be judged on the following criteria: • Formulation design • Regulatory compliance • Packaging • Marketing incorporating social media and digital campaigns.

Entries are now open and will close on 1 June 2021. For more information or to enter, contact Abby Vorster, editor of P&C Review on 071 359 4519 or send an email to Abby.Vorster@newmedia.co.za. www.pharmacos.co.za

FRAGRANCES

Simple solutions for more sustainable fragrances Natural resources such as plants and water are essential to the fragrance industry. It is understandable that most companies in the industry are investing a considerable amount of time and effort into improving their environmental sustainability. We spoke to Guillaume Audy, sustainability director at Iberchem, to find out more about the latest developments in sustainability in terms of fragrances.

ccording to Audy, in recent years, a succession of events – from the COVID-19 pandemic to raw material shortages and subsequent price hikes – have revealed how the industry is vulnerable to recurring issues related to health, climate change, loss of biodiversity and land degradation. An Iberchem perfumer exploring ways in which to achieve a more sustainable fragrance

“From the Turkish rose to oud plantations in India, many raw materials used in fragrances are already under great pressure,” he comments. However, the industry is leading the 2030 agenda for sustainable development with noteworthy initiatives. In the short term, as a direct response to the loss of land and biodiversity, fragrance houses are increasingly turning to the magic of biotechnology. A handful of raw materials coming from such technical advances are already available to perfumers. Patchouli, amber and sandalwood are some of the notes that can now be achieved using white biotechnology. Made by the fermentation of cane or beet sugar, some of these ingredients

SUSTAINABILITY TREND IN FRAGRANCES Although new product developments remain somewhat limited, natural and sustainable claims are now present in the narrative of most brands, in diverse aspects such as sourcing, the production process, packaging, etc. According to Mintel, the focus on clean beauty and transparency in formulations, as a result of COVID-19, will see new natural and synthetic formulas developed in line with eco trends. One of the main challenges now in the fragrances industry is to emphasise how synthetic and biotechnological ingredients can be sustainable and safe for consumer use while avoiding the depletion of natural resources. As for packaging, the main focus will be on combining convenience and sustainability through the use of innovative formats, targeting minimum waste and adopting a cradle-to-cradle or circular design approach. In this sense, flexible formats and refillable containers are becoming popular among consumers.

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

FRAGRANCES

"There are many manufacturers championing the race to fight climate change because they have a lot at stake"

Guillaume Audy, sustainability director at Iberchem

are even readily biodegradable or made from renewable carbon. “This is undoubtedly a breakthrough in the history of perfumery,” he comments.

VAGUE AND MISLEADING CLAIMS Natural ingredients are also on the rise. But be careful! There are many misleading claims that tend to make consumers believe that natural fragrances are necessarily better for the environment. Yet this is not the case – not all natural fragrances are sustainable. “To be sustainable, a natural fragrance must be made from sustainably-sourced raw materials,” says Audy. “Conscious consumers searching for both the benefits of naturals and the preservation of the environment should always look for a certification by an official body such as COSMOS or NATRUE.” Biodegradable fragrances are also increasingly requested by FMCG brands, especially in the personal care and home care categories. However, on closer investigation, it quickly becomes clear that biodegradability is a vague concept, particularly when it comes to finished products. There are a lot of grey areas when it comes to natural, organic and biodegradable claims and a lot of work still has to be done in order to meet international standards

and regulations. Meanwhile, as a reference, consumers should look for products with ‘readily biodegradable’ claims. This means the product has the ability to biodegrade quickly and completely in line with the OECD testing guidelines.

HIGH-IMPACT FRAGRANCES In their intentions to meet commitments to the United Nation’s well-known sustainable development goals (SDGs), many fragrance houses are now promoting high-impact fragrances as a sustainable alternative to regular fragrances. In a nutshell, these are concentrated fragrances. With high-impact fragrances, manufacturers are able to use less solvent (such as dipropylen glycol, a petrochemicalbased solvent), reduce packaging and transport costs, and they save energy during production. This presents a promising solution for manufacturers looking to tackle their Scope 3 emissions.

FUTURE PROSPECTS OF AI AND BIOTECH The route to sustainability doesn’t always have to involve arduous or complicated processes. Substantial progress can be made simply by creating the right working mindset. One of the easiest ways to achieve

fragrances that are more sustainable is to provide perfumers with the most effective approach at the time of developing their formulas. Both senior and recently graduated perfumers should be open to revisiting their working methods. Are all ingredients in the formula necessary to create the fragrance? Is there a better alternative to the ingredients used? Would an ‘untrained nose’ perceive the difference if some of the components are removed? “As mentioned before, fragrances are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: raw materials scarcity; land degradation; loss of biodiversity, etc. The list is long,” stresses Audy. “There are many manufacturers championing the race to fight climate change because they have a lot at stake. Despite all the actions already taken by the industry, it is likely that the most radical transformations are yet to come. For instance, the increasing use of AI in fragrance formulation and the major progress in biotechnology are definitely two trends to be watched in the coming years. Their impact on the value chain could be significant enough to transform the industry as we currently know it.” • Iberchem – www.iberchem.com

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

FRAGRANCES

New scent collections capture the essence of today’s trends

To develop the 2021 fragrance forecast, expert perfumers of Fragrance Oils International drew their inspiration from nature, oceans, social media, environmental awareness, the gender fluidity movement etc. Spilt into four collections, the forecast features fragrances that capture the essence of each trend and showcases key notes set to influence new product development this year.

Exploring scents inspired by this trend, Expression (836627) is a complex fragrance opening with citrus and fruity hints, revealing an expressive heart of intoxicating patchouli rounded by delicate floral nuances. The lingering base of vetiver, amber and woods is smoothed by a skin-like musk accord. Fluid (836625) is an inviting fragrance opening with the sparkle of lime and grapefruit smoothed by a mellow heart of lotus flower and enticing spices. The harmonious base of vetiver, sandalwood and smooth vanilla brings this fragrance together.

OCEAN TRANQUILLITY

ragrance Oils International, represented locally by Chemgrit Cosmetics, brings you four capsule collections in its latest forecast. These take into account the wider mega trends currently driving global changes, which include environmental awareness and sustainability. These two trends in particular are forcing the beauty and fragrance industries to become more transparent, to source ingredients in a more ethical way and to offer recyclable or more eco-friendly packaging solutions. These trends, and the influence of social media on our desire to continually capture and share moments, are expected to shape the beauty and fragrance industries for several years to come.

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

MODERN FLUIDITY Capturing a sense of hope and optimism, modern fluidity focuses on a more openminded view of the world around us where boundaries, such as gender, will become less important. It opens up a world of creativity in terms of fashion, beauty and fragrance. Generation Z will continue to break down barriers and support the movement that gender alone is an outmoded construct. Translated into olfactory innovation, this will see more genderless fragrances entering the market which are nonbinary and reflect the wearer’s mood or personality, not their gender. Modern fluidity aims to change boundaries and re-imagine fragrances that speak to the wearer as an individual.

The next concept is called ocean tranquillity. This draws inspiration from the desire to protect, treasure and immerse ourselves in the serenity of the sea. The rising awareness and social consciousness of the ecological threats facing our oceans will drive the ‘reusereduce-recycle’ movement. This is already having an impact on our fashion and lifestyle choices and will continue to affect other areas of our lives. As we look to protect our oceans, we will also turn to them for tranquillity, inner peace and much-need calm. Fragrances of this trend will be immersed in an aquatic spectrum of marine notes including salty accents, fresh aromatic and marine accords. These invigorating and

Did you know? Fragrance Oils International specialises in the creation of perfumery essences and natural herbal extracts for use in fine fragrance, personal care, air care and household cleaning applications. Established in 1967, the company has emerged as one of the industry’s most dynamic and influential suppliers of fragrance ingredients.

FRAGRANCES

uplifting notes capture the essence of the ocean perfectly. Coastal Kale & Surf (836626) is a vibrant scent opening with basil and sun-kissed orange, cooled and refreshed by ozonic notes and coastal kale. It lightens with a heart of rose, geranium, lavender and lily, while the full and complex base of warm woods, sweet vanilla, amber and hints of fresh, dry spice add depth to the fragrance. Oceanic Rain and Cypress (836630) feels like salty ocean rain on the skin. You are immersed in an ozonic wave enhanced by a coastal breeze of cypress and lush green hints. The marine floral heart reveals delicate hints of water lily, rose and jasmine, resting on a bed of driftwood and amber.

NATURE REAWAKENING Centred on reconnecting, the nature reawakening trend embraces the beauty and wellness provided by the outdoors. The idea is to continue working in harmony with nature as we once again turn to it, and all it has to offer, to enhance our lives. As people look to ‘unplug’ from today’s technically-driven world, they are simplifying things and creating more meaningful connections with each other and with nature. It is expected that fragrances will need to offer greater transparency in 2021 as consumers demand to know more about the stories and materials behind a fine fragrance and what makes it unique. A greater awareness of nature and natural materials will also result in fragrances that emphasise greener notes and which capture the beauty of nature. Forgotten Ferns & Oak (836628) is a fragrance that takes you on a forgotten trail through lush green ferns and gives a sparkle of citrus hints. As the journey continues,

light, nutty notes, translucent florals and cypress lead you to deeper woods of oak, cedarwood and patchouli smoothed by skin-like musks. Geranium & Willow Moss (836629) evoke the essence of nature with this floral chypre fragrance blending zesty lemon and luscious green stems in the opening. The heart of geranium is further enhanced by wild violet and rose, wrapped in a warm and enveloping base of vetiver, musk and willow moss.

POSITIVE VIBES Unapologetic and bold, the positive vibes trend features a rush of colours to excite the senses and draws its inspiration from millennials. It is about being fierce and sassy and is driven by social media and capturing every moment as it happens. Juicy, fruity notes and exotic florals capture this trend and instantly transport us to sun-kissed beaches. Blackcurrant, raspberry, rhubarb and mandarin are key notes giving fragrances a fruity, zesty pop in the opening. Beautiful and exotic frangipani is also celebrated for its intoxicating and complex floral character. Raspberry Granita & Frangipani (836631) is an uplifting and lush fragrance that pops with an overdose of juicy raspberries in the opening, while exotic frangipani and white jasmine transport you to sunnier shores. A sensuous close is created by a captivating blend of vanilla, silky musks, sandalwood and cedar. Blackcurrant and Rhubarb Flower (836624) is a bold fusion of vibrant fresh pineapple and zesty orange, leading to a

"Fragrances will need to offer greater transparency in 2021 as consumers demand to know more"

radiant heart of blackcurrant and rhubarb flower enhanced by a touch of violet. This is complemented by a sweet and creamy fond of ripe strawberry and juicy peach. •

Chemgrit Cosmetics – www.chemgritcosmetics.co.za Fragrance Oils International – www.fragrance-oils.com

ASK ABOUT OUR FINE FRAGRANCE COLLECTION Chemgrit Cosmetics (Pty) Ltd supplies raw materials and ingredients to the cosmetics, skin and personal care industries. - Personalised Service - Outstanding Quality - Reliability - Flexibility www.chemgritcosmetics.co.za | 011 397 4455 info@chemgritsa.co.za | johrinda@chemgritsa.co.za

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

FRAGRANCES

Celebrate ‘me-moments’ with intimate skin care concepts

Treating yourself to a short break from everyday life can be balsam for the soul. Some book an appointment at the hairdresser, the beauty salon or a barber shop, others enjoy a personal spa at home. Perfume house Düllberg Konzentra highlights some skin care concepts that help to set the scene for me-time.

he world is undergoing massive change, and many people are struggling to keep up. Maintaining a constant digital presence and availability can be incredibly demanding and exhausting. External factors like the coronavirus

Increasingly, people are looking for ways to escape the pressure – if not permanently, then at least for a short while. “For many people, the world is exciting and can be too stimulating. This has created a desire to step away from the hustle and bustle

of missing out) has morphed into JOMO – the joy of missing out. The thought of taking time for oneself, for relaxation and pampering, seems more important than ever,” says Lisa Achilles, marketing at Düllberg Konzentra. Ignoring social and digital pressure, staying

pandemic further add to the stress.

– at least temporarily. Yesterday’s FOMO (fear

at home and creating an inviting personal

ONLY ME IDEAS FOR WOMEN 1. Spa-wellness presents a deluxe personal bathing experience in the form of the palace of self-care. This innovation is comprised of two product concepts for bath foams and body scrubs formulated with sandalwood and rose blossom and jacaranda and tonka. 2. Sweet delight consists of delectable cocktail notes for a summer shower. This brings together an exotic mix of the sweet sparkle of freshly-cut sugarcane combined with vanilla-laden coconut, juicy peach and fruity pineapple. 3. Cool and sensual is a cool shower cocktail to exhale and enjoy. It includes a gentle and slightly fruity hint of grenadine, combined with zesty lime juice and a signature trace of pineapple.

ONLY ME CONCEPTS FOR MEN 1. Bitter surprise is a relaxing moonshine shower gel that provides an exclamation mark at the end of the day. It offers an energetic signal to lean back and indulge in a spot of self-care thanks to the sharp freshness of grapefruit combined with hints of peat and malt, a dash of smoke and the earthy, warm scent of hay. 2. Sparkling and refreshing is a cool, zingy shower gel based on spicy notes for men’s body care. The purity of zesty citrus fruits combined with lively, warm spices like cardamom and black pepper fade out into the beautiful freshness of peppermint and juniper.

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FRAGRANCES

ONLY ME UNISEX INNOVATIONS 1. The my intimate wash lotion: soothe yourself harnesses the benefits of medicinal plants that have been used for thousands of years. Chamomile, the flower of the Egyptian sun god Re, is incorporated for its calming and anti-inflammatory benefits. Aloe vera – the plant of immortality in ancient Egypt – boosts the immune system and acts as an antiviral. 2. The relax yourself intimate wash lotion variant gives a new feeling of freshness below the belt. The lotion is formulated with lavender for its soothing, relaxing and disinfecting benefits while the chamomile is calming and relieves inflammation. environment are fundamental needs that have several faces. One is hygge, which transforms a home into a cosily-designed retreat. “Another aspect is what we call ‘emotional care’,” says Christian Lüke, marketing at Düllberg Konzentra. “These can be personal care products that make you feel good, and which add a sensuous touch to the time you consciously spend on yourself. Their purpose is to nurture a very special relationship – your relationship with yourself.” This has steadily gained in importance, with data showing a remarkable number of people are single – 16.8mn people in Germany alone. Every third person between the ages of 18 and 65 is single, as is every second person between 18 and 29. As a sign of how norms are changing, more and more people are happy to be single. They enjoy life on their own terms, self-confidently and without needing to compromise on values, desires or self-care.

INSPIRED BY THE SPA EXPERIENCE Düllberg Konzentra’s new range, Only Me, has turned these trends into a compelling collection of new skin care products: they stimulate and inspire with incredible scents and an appealing choice of textures and colours. All these factors are

"Only Me has turned these trends into a compelling collection of new skin care products" presented in a new choice of body care products – and, as a new segment – intimate washes. Achilles comments: “At the heart of Only Me is a modern, fun approach to the entire spa experience. Our products include a great range of fragrance formulations. They are engagingly appetising, sensual and pampering, ranging from exotic notes like jacaranda and tonka to cocktail compositions, crisply fresh men’s fragrances and beneficial ingredients like chamomile and lavender.” Creative marketing ideas are the bedrock of Only Me. The packaging plays a key role in communicating the positive message of the product and invites users to indulge – for instance, by incorporating a specially chosen range of pastel shades in blue, yellow and green. These colours convey a cheerful, positive mood, full of optimism and confidence.

A NEW EXPLORATION OF MINDFULNESS Only Me also stands for a positive and relaxed approach to one’s own body. It continues a school of thought that began with ‘cocooning’ in the 1980s. Cocooning is the deliberate retreat from the outside world, the desire to

About Nature

The fascination of nature is higher than ever before and consumers are craving for natural and nature inspired fragrances which support the expected mental benefits. Sustainability means responsibility for humanity and nature, for products and firms, for present and future. Besides natural raw materials, at Düllberg Konzentra, it´s the technologies that enable us additionally to create products of exceptional purity and quality. It´s the creativity that goes into developing natural fragrances, it´s the expertise and passion with which our employees ensure our customers´ success.

Düllberg Konzentra. The essence of nature.

wrap oneself up in a comforting shell. The mindfulness movement of recent years has placed a stronger focus on the individual, on one’s own feelings, and, ideally, on more serenity. Only Me embraces this approach and invites us to take a sensuous break from day-to-day life. “Only Me is JOMO brought to life. It offers the chance to flick the switch on routine, leave the annoyances of the day behind and treat oneself to some indulgent and intimate metime,” says Achilles. • Düllberg Konzentra – www.duellberg-konzentra.de/en

www.duellberg-konzentra.de

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021 AnzeigeCossma.indd 2

23.02.21 10:05

INDUSTRY TALK

Addressing global inequalities in air pollution An estimated 90% of the world suffers from harmful pollution levels, yet only half has access to air quality data. Low-cost sensors help to fill key monitoring gaps and enable cities, governments, researchers and citizens to participate in monitoring air quality and fighting air pollution.

recent investigation into the largest cities in the world showed that the average annual level of PM2.5 air pollution was 39ug/m³, nearly four times higher than the World Health Organization’s guideline of 10ug/m³. The worst affected cities are in Asia – Lahore (Pakistan), Delhi (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Ahmedabad (India) and Xi’an (China) have the highest levels measured, according to OpenAQ. Furthermore, over half of the world’s population has no access to official government data on air quality, according to a study published by OpenAQ.1, 2 The study, entitled Open Air Quality Data: The Global State of Play examined 212 countries and found 109 governments (51%) are not producing air quality data of any major pollutants, while 103 are. This data illustrates the stark global inequalities in air pollution, which could be addressed by providing low-cost pollution sensors to communities worldwide. For instance, the recorded PM2.5 levels in Delhi were 102 compared to just 7.7 in New York City. A coalition of NGOs are working together to address this inequality through a new open-source data platform using low-cost air sensors. Developed with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the pilot is hosted on OpenAQ.org and provides a portal for research scientists, NGOs and individuals to access global reference grade air quality data as well as newer, low-cost sensor data.

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

CASE STUDY SHOWS THE PLATFORM IN ACTION In Ghana, 17 000 premature deaths are attributed to poor air quality. Across West Africa, biomass burning, vehicle emissions and industrial waste are identified as the main contributors to the air pollution problem. Clean Air One Atmosphere, a NGO based in Accra, Ghana, built Yakokoe – a mobile app using PurpleAir low-cost sensor data – to engage, educate and empower citizens to use air quality data to make informed decisions about how to protect their health. The mobile app provides Ghanaian citizens with free air quality data in their region and the associated health risks by sharing an air quality index (AQI), which has different thresholds based on risk levels. With PurpleAir data now available on the integrated OpenAQ pilot platform, it opens new possibilities to scale impact, as it draws the world’s attention to air quality challenges in Ghana and West Africa at-large. 3

Traffic in Ghana which contributes heavily to poor air quality in the region (image courtesy of Remi Barbosa Wallpaperflare)

Heavy Johannesburg traffic, which adds to the harmful pollution levels in the city (image courtesy of mediaclubSouthAfrica, Flickr)

A KEY AND NOVEL RESOURCE The platform brings together low-cost sensor air quality data from EDF’s air quality data commons and from Purple Air, HabitatMap and Carnegie Mellon University. It already houses more than 750mn data points from 11 000+ stations in 99 countries. The new pilot provides a novel dashboard for searching and understanding

INDUSTRY TALK

"Over half of the world’s population has no access to official government data on air quality"

Did you know? OpenAQ is the largest open air quality data platform of its kind, in terms of measurements and geography. It receives on average 35mn data requests per month to the open API, via www.openaq.org.

Although wearing a mask helps slow the spread of the coronavirus, it also protects this young girl from the air pollution (image courtesy of Gajendra Bhati from Pexels)

low-cost sensor data, as well as all the data previously available on OpenAQ’s website and platform via an API. The platform will be a key resource for cities, governments and communities at a time when the effects of air pollution on public health, including the challenges they present in individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, have come into sharper focus. As nations around the world plan for a recovery from the pandemic which prioritises climate change goals, tackling air pollution will become an important priority. OpenAQ’s data platform will give governments and communities an important tool to track these efforts and to inform policies and programmes. These are a new air quality monitoring technology that complement more traditional and expensive reference grade monitors and help address data gaps. While prices can vary, it is often in the $100s or $1 000s versus $10 000s for a reference grade monitor. Low-cost sensor units can be installed by individual users, communities as well

as governments to increase coverage and access to air quality data to a greater number of citizens, policymakers and NGOs. Given their smaller size, they can either be mobile or stationary.

EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT Jeremy Taub, executive director of OpenAQ, explains: “We want to encourage new, affordable solutions to monitor air quality and bring this data to our platform to increase funding and action for those communities who are most affected by air pollution. It will fill important data gaps allowing communities to develop solutions for air pollution.” Millie Chu Baird, associate vice president at EDF, adds: “One of the keys to fighting air pollution inequity is data transparency – ensuring that as wide a range of people as possible have access to as much of the data as possible. It is fundamental to the ability to take action.” HabitatMap makes technologies accessible, so communities facing disproportionate

Traffic in Soweto, Gauteng, which plays a key role in rising air pollution in the township (image courtesy of Kabelo Thabiso Selebalo of Pexels)

environmental burdens can advocate for equity and improved quality of life. Michael Heimbinder, executive director of HabitatMap, comments: “We’re excited to have the air quality data contributed to the open-source AirCasting platform made available via OpenAQ’s low-cost sensor pilot.” Albert Presto, associate research professor at Carnegie Mellon University, adds: “Sensors bring air pollution data to neighbourhood level. People also need to be able to access this data from trusted sources using reliable tools. OpenAQ is one source that will allow us to further disseminate this valuable data.” Clean Air Fund’s portfolio manager, Matt Whitney says they see the launch of this pilot programme as a critical step in enabling new solutions to fight for clean air. “The fund believes that tackling air pollution requires open and transparent access to air quality data, adoption of new and emerging technologies and creative multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral partnerships. We are proud to support OpenAQ’s ground-breaking work in achieving these important goals.” Signe Ostby and Scott Cook of Valhalla Foundation add: “We are proud to support EDF’s air quality work, which harnesses sensor data to deepen the understanding of the health impacts and disparities among populations who live, work and attend school in higher pollution areas. As this work continues to spread to other parts of the globe, we hope more communities, advocacy organisations and governments will use this data to take action and stop pollution at its source.” • OpenAQ – www.openaq.org

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

CONTRACT MANUFACTURING

SA’s leading pharma contract manufacturer implements new systems It’s been another busy year for Wrapsa, the bona-fide pharmaceutical contract manufacturer based in Centurion, Gauteng, since 1983, despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. To keep up with customer, regulatory and industry demands, the company has undergone significant upgrades to its facility and systems. By Abby Vorster

ithin Wrapsa’s laboratory there have been stability testing upgrades with new rooms and chambers that boost capacity in this area of the business. The new laboratory equipment allows the team to carry out FTIR spectrophotometry testing on medicines which is an effective analytical method to quickly and reliably assess the quality of medicines during production and storage. The contract manufacturer is also in the process of obtaining SANAS 17025:2005 accreditation for its laboratory. Wrapsa’s laboratory-based services will be extended with the launch of an on-site micro-lab. In the past, Wrapsa outsourced all micro testing. Yet the ever-increasing demand for a faster turnaround on test results provided a

Pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment installed at Wrapsa

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strong case for the company to offer this service in house.

NEW SYSTEMS OFFER ADDED VALUE There have also been developments behind the scenes at Wrapsa which have resulted in significant improvements on the factory floor and from a customer service point of view. “We have implemented a fully integrated and customised MRP system that allows customers to follow the entire production process of a product,” says Nardus Alberts, MD of Wrapsa. “Customers are granted access via a secure login which allows them to track their product/s through the various stages of production. Our customers appreciate this added value as it gives them a sense of control when working with a thirdparty manufacturer. The system also supports our move to just-in-time purchasing.” Over the past 12 months, Wrapsa has been exploring the machine data that exists on its factory floor. In order to make the most of this information, the company has implemented a customised cloud-based maintenance system that monitors downtime and supports better planning. This has resulted in more effective and efficient processes and less downtime for Wrapsa. With the increasing demand for pharmaceutical lozenges, Wrapsa has invested heavily in the equipment and technology required to produce these products. It will also invest in an effervescent plant which requires specific temperature and humidity monitoring due to the sensitive nature of these products.

Did you know? To maintain operations during the pandemic and to protect the health and safety of its employees, Wrapsa employed a full-time nurse in April 2020 who continues to oversee all COVID protocols throughout the manufacturing plant. As a result of these developments, the size of Wrapsa’s manufacturing and storage space has grown to over 25 000m².

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Wrapsa has always maintained its employees are the company’s biggest asset. This is evident in all the manufacturer does to protect, empower and supporting them through skills development. Like any business that operates a fleet, the risk of hijacking is real – even for Wrapsa. In South Africa, the threat simply increases each year. Not resting on its laurels, the contract manufacturer is doing everything possible to safeguard its drivers, vehicles and its customers’ goods. The company has implemented a highly robust fleet management system and panic buttons in all its trucks and delivery vehicles. Over the past year Wrapsa has supported pharmacists and millwright students by employing them during their semester breaks and practical year so that they can gain manufacturing experience. This is an ongoing programme at the company in order to equip these students with practical knowledge which will benefit this industry. • Wrapsa – www.wrapsa.co.za

Manufacturing • Liquids - Syrups - Suspensions - Emulsions • Creams/ointments/gels • Powders/granules • Tablets (uncoated/sugar-coated/film coated) • Capsules • Caplets • Lozenges • Food supplements • Aerosol

Packing • Blister and strip packing of capsules, tablets, softgel caps and caplets • Sachet filling- liquids, powders, cream and ointments • Tube filling (aluminium, plastic and laminated) • Shrink-wrapping • Filling (creams, powders, liquids) • Flowpac/pillow packing of various products • Tablet/capsule packing into containers • Aerosol filling

Laboratory Services Fully Equipped stability laboratory offering: • Stability tests a) Various climatic zones b) Allopathic medicines c) Complementary medicines d) Health supplements • Comparative dissolution testing • Verification of analytical methods and more • Research & Development

Confidentiality The company enforces a strict confidentiality code. Full documentation accompanies all work.

Certification SAHPRA Licence; GMP Certificate; ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 22000:2005 FDA Food and cosmetic registration

WRAPSA (PTY) LTD Tel: +27 (0) 12 653 0347/8 wrapsa@wrapsa.co.za

CONTRACT MANUFACTURING

Hauschild SpeedMixer mixes substances of any consistency - speedily and bubble-free without blades

Whenever mixing is an important component of the R&D process, one device has been relied on worldwide since 1974. Its name already tells you all you need to know – the Hauschild SpeedMixer, thanks to an ingenious mixing technique, is capable of producing homogeneous, multi-material compounds such as liquids, high-viscosity pastes and powders in a matter of minutes.

he Hauschild SpeedMixer, developed in Germany almost 50 years ago and constantly refined since then, is the device technicians most frequently

available, the more effective the process. Thanks to its extremely fast mixing, our Hauschild SpeedMixer shortens the product development, analysis and quality assurance

turn to when mixing substances in labs is on their agenda. The scenarios in which this centrifugal mixer finds use are as varied as the product worlds involved. It can mix different liquids and pastes, pastes with powders, one powder with another and various combinations of liquids and powders. Even materials with different chemical and physical properties can be mixed to form new products. Silicones, oils, gels, emulsions, creams, epoxy resins, lacquers, paints, epoxides, powders, urethanes ... the list goes on.

process in the laboratory.”

FAST, REPRODUCIBLE RESULTS Fabio Boccola, CEO of Hauschild explains: “In our fast-moving times, manufacturers must be constantly bringing product improvements or innovations to markets. It’s often the tiniest modifications that make all the difference – a new taste in lipstick, oil bubbles in a shower gel, glossier paint, better adhesion of a glue, faster absorbing creams etc. This development work takes place in the laboratory. The formula is altered, and new elements added to test the effect on the product. The faster the result becomes

Did you know? The original Hauschild SpeedMixer offers perfect mixing results from a few grams or millilitres up to 10kg or 10ℓ for laboratories mixing substances in their R&D work as well as for contract manufacturers that require small batch mixes for quality assurance.

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LEVERAGING CENTRIFUGAL FORCES DAC technology is central to the success of this speedmixer. DAC stands for dual asymmetric centrifuge and lends its name to the Hauschild SpeedMixer product range. The special feature of this mixing principle is the dual rotation of the mixing vessel. The combination of centrifugal forces working on different planes enables an extremely efficient mixing process to be achieved,

"Hauschild SpeedMixer shortens the product development, analysis and quality assurance process in the laboratory" distinguished by a homogeneous result without the use of mixing blades. Degassing of virtually 100% is achieved during the mixing process. Even the smallest micro-bubbles are eliminated, dispensing with additional degassing cycles. The Hauschild SpeedMixer featuring vacuum technology is available for complete air extraction. Programmable cycles guarantee that every batch represents an identical, reproducible mixture, thereby speeding up the development process considerably.

MIXED – NOT STIRRED As the Hauschild SpeedMixer mixes in disposable vessels without blades, there is absolutely no need for cleaning or the additional use of chemicals. The dimensions of the mixing vessels and mixing buckets range from a few grams up to 10kg and from a few millilitres to a nominal capacity of up to 16ℓ – depending on the intended size of the batch. • The Hauschild SpeedMixer including all components are manufactured in Germany following a high-quality approach www.hauschild – speedmixer.com

THE TREND TOWARDS DIRECT COMPRESSION

An ongoing trend in Oral Solid Dosage (OSD) formulations is the transition from Wet Granulation (WG) towards Direct Compression (DC). This trend is mostly driven by the typically lower integral production costs and shorter development timelines. DC formulation requires the use of particle engineered excipients with the right characteristics for your specific formulation. DFE Pharma has both the know-how and the product portfolio to support formulators in their specific DC grade excipient needs. The DC grade lactose offerings include spray dried, agglomerated, anhydrous, as well as co-processed products. Furthermore, there are a number of specific solutions, such as for orally disintegrating tablets (ODT) or mini-tablets. Top of the line products in the DC lactose portfolio of DFE Pharma are: • SuperTab® 40LL combines all required functionalities into one single excipient, and breaks through the limits of direct compression with the highest carrying capacity of marketed excipient products. • SuperTab® 24AN combines the benefits of granulated and anhydrous lactose: excellent flow, quick disintegration time, superior compaction, minimum water content, low hygroscopicity and low lubricant sensitivity. These properties makes SuperTab® 24 AN the ideal choice for many DC tablet applications, including low dose formulations and moisture sensitive drugs. • SuperTab® 50 ODT is a highly consistent monohydrate lactose ideal for ODT purposes, as it combines rapid disintegration in the mouth with a pleasant mouthfeel and a mildly sweet taste.

dfepharma.com

For more information on our DC grade offerings and formulation advice please visit our website (www.dfepharma.com) or contact us through your local representative. This website includes various webtools, such as: Product Finder The product finder has been developed to support you in selecting the best fitting excipient for your formulation from DFE Pharma’s portfolio. Formulation tool The formulation tool will help you to identify the optimal formulation for your Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) with a simple step by step process or an advanced expert mode.

Furthermore we will be launching a DC promotion tool shortly, which will showcase both our expertise on typical DC formulation challenges and our DC grade excipients with their specific properties and strengths.

So: keep an eye on our website for updates!

PHARMA FOCUS: EXCIPIENTS

A unique multifunctional lactose grade for DC formulations While direct compression or DC has been known for many years, it has only recently become more established. This is thanks to the introduction of excipients specifically designed for DC. The advantages of DC include fewer processing stages and the elimination of heat and moisture effects.1 Pauline Janssen and Marly Bastiaansen of DFE Pharma discuss SuperTab 24AN as an ideal excipient choice to support formulators in expanding the use of DC.

actose is one of the most commonly used tablet diluents for DC, especially grades that are modified to improve flow and compaction. Besides the importance of good flow and compactibility, the ability of excipients to achieve good drug content uniformity in final tablets is key. It has been speculated that the ability of certain excipients to achieve good drug content uniformity may be a result of excipient morphology whereby the active ingredient can be distributed into crevices in the excipient structure.² Anhydrous lactose is modified by granulation to create a structure with crevices that enhance mixing potential to achieve good drug content uniformity, while at the same time increasing the flow and compaction properties (see Figure 1b). SuperTab 24AN as multifunctional excipient enables pharmaceutical manufacturers to extend the potential use of DC.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS The manufacturing process for granulated anhydrous lactose is both unique and patented, providing enhanced functionality. As the name already indicates, granulated anhydrous lactose is produced using a combination of processes. Anhydrous lactose (Figure 1a) is produced by roller drying and subsequent comminution and sieving. Evaporation is done at temperatures above 93.5°C, resulting in predominant crystallisation of anhydrous β-lactose, typically 70% to 80%. For the production of granulated anhydrous lactose, a sieved fine particle size fraction of anhydrous lactose is agglomerated on a fluid bed agglomerator with an aqueous lactose solution as a binder. This granulation step modifies the morphology of the excipient to a granular porous structure (see Figure 1b), which has a positive effect on flow and compactibility, and maintains disintegration time. Robustness of the process is proven by evaluating and monitoring

Figure 2: Consistency data of functional related characteristics of SuperTab 24AN

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Figure 1a: SEM picture SuperTab 21AN

Figure 1b: SEM picture SuperTab 24AN

PHARMA FOCUS: EXCIPIENTS

Figure 3a: Compaction profile

Figure 3b: Disintegration profile

functional related characteristics. This to ensure consistency and to de-risk the use of SuperTab 24AN (see Figure 2).

COMPACTION Besides the low moisture content and low hygroscopicity, anhydrous lactose is also preferred as a DC excipient due to its good compactibility. This is as a result of the high fragmentation of the roller-dried microcrystals, combined with the plastic deformation of the primary crystals which enlarge the binding surface area.³ Agglomeration of anhydrous lactose has shown to increase the compaction properties further. Figure 3a shows that granulated anhydrous lactose results in 40% higher compactibility than regular anhydrous lactose, while at the same time reducing the disintegration time by almost 50% (see Figure 3b). The difference in compactibility and disintegration is fully assigned to the additional agglomeration process, which results in a porous granular structure, while retaining the primary anhydrous particle size. The porous granular structure of granulated anhydrous compared to regular anhydrous lactose can be observed in SEM pictures in Figure 1b.

FLOW The irregular shape of the particles of regular anhydrous lactose is less supportive for flowability than other types of DC lactose. However, granulation of small anhydrous lactose particles has been shown to alter the particle size distribution and particle shape towards good flowing granular particles. Granulated anhydrous lactose shows a high flow function coefficient (FFC) upon measuring in an annular shear cell, as is indicated in Figure 4. The increased flow is also reflected in blends of the excipient with an increasing amount of drug loading. With up to 20% drug loading, flow function coefficients remain above 20 for granulated anhydrous lactose, while the flow function

Figure 4: FFC granulated anhydrous versus regular anhydrous

coefficient drops below 10 for regular anhydrous lactose. Figure 5 provides an example of a formulation with granulated anhydrous lactose, SuperTab 24AN. It shows the compactibility with increasing paracetamol content up to 40%. It is interesting to see that for 40% drug loading, compactibility and flow still did not limit the tabletting process with a gravimetric feed rotary tablet press.

Figure 5: Performance granulated anhydrous with high drug loading

CONTENT UNIFORMITY Besides flow and compactibility, content uniformity is one of the key challenges in DC. During this process, APIs are not locked into the granule as is the case with granulation. Therefore, the blending of APIs generally gives rise to concerns about inhomogeneity and segregation. Figure 6 compares granulated anhydrous lactose with regular anhydrous lactose on content uniformity as a function of blending time. Lactose was blended with 2% propranolol HCL and 97.5% lactose in a Turbula mixer at 62rpm for two, five and eight minutes, followed by two minutes blending with 0.5% MgSt. Content uniformity for granulated anhydrous lactose is excellent (RSD≤4%) after two minutes, while a similar result for regular anhydrous is obtained after only eight minutes. It is anticipated that the excellent flow properties combined with the granular structure makes granulated anhydrous lactose ideal for formulation where mixing properties are critical.

CONCLUSION The innovative use of granulated anhydrous lactose (SuperTab 24AN) can extend the use of DC techniques in tablet production, due to combining the benefits of granulated and anhydrous lactose in one excipient. It provides excellent flow, superior compaction, quick disintegration, low water content and low hygroscopicity.

Figure 6: Content uniformity of 2% propranolol HCL blended with anhydrous lactose (SuperTab 21AN) and granulated anhydrous lactose (SuperTab 24AN), expressed as relative standard deviation over 20 samples

Additionally, good drug content uniformity can be obtained with granulated anhydrous, because of excipient morphology whereby the API can be distributed into crevices in the excipient structure. By combining all these properties in one excipient, SuperTab 24AN will be the ideal choice to support formulators in expanding the use of DC. SuperTab 24AN is an anhydrous lactose grade produced by DFE Pharma and available locally from IMCD South Africa. • REFERENCE: 1. Jivraj, M., Martini, L. G., & Thomson, C. M. (2000). An overview of the different excipients useful for the direct compression of tablets. Pharmaceutical science & technology today, 3(2), 58-63. 2. Kukkar, V., Anand, V., Kataria, M., Gera, M., & Choudhury, P. K. (2008). Mixing and formulation of low dose drugs: underlying problems and solutions. Thai J Pharm Sci, 32(3-4), 43-58. 3. Vromans, H. (1987). Ph.D. Thesis, Studies on the consolidation and compaction of lactose, University of Groningen.

DFE Pharma – www.dfepharma.com IMCD South Africa – www.imcdgroup.com

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

PHARMA FOCUS: EXCIPIENTS

The sweet choice for

vitamin D supplements Beneo’s sweet filler-binder, galenIQ is said to be an excipient of choice for producing vitamin D supplements in tablet form. Available locally from Savannah Fine Chemicals, it enhances the taste and formulation properties of vitamin D.

few minutes of daily midday exposure to UVB rays is recommended by scientific experts to build up vitamin D in the human body. However, our vitamin D levels can be depleted for numerous reasons. A lack of direct sunlight during winter months when the sun is not at its peak is one; the ongoing lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic is another. With lockdown, most people stay at home all day, work from home and don’t always manage to take a short break outdoors on a daily basis. As a result, consumer demand is increasing for dietary supplements that prevent vitamin D deficiencies.

ESSENTIAL TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS Vitamin D plays an important role in the body, particularly in terms of helping to maintain normal muscle function, keeping our bones healthy and supporting the intestinal absorption of calcium to strengthen the immune system. Also known as the sunshine vitamin, it is able to activate the innate and inhibit the adaptive immune systems with antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. A deficiency in vitamin D has a negative impact on bone

Did you know? Research has shown that vitamin D may play an important role in regulating mood and warding off depression. In one study, scientists found that people with mood disorders who took vitamin D supplements noticed an improvement in their symptoms. Source: www.healthline.com

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density, especially in children and the elderly, and may increase the risk or severity of viral infections. Decreased levels of the vitamin can also contribute to risks of heart disease, diabetes and depression. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has defined an adequate intake of 15µg of vitamin D per day for healthy individuals over the age of one. However, for many people, such as the elderly and those who follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, it can be difficult to achieve an adequate dietary intake. And, although vitamin D can be synthesised in the body through sun exposure, sufficient production is not always guaranteed, especially during the winter months. In all of these cases, vitamin D supplements, often taken in combination with calcium compounds, can be helpful. Calcium is a mineral needed by the body to maintain bone health and to prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D supports the uptake of calcium in the body. For this reason, there are a great number of nutritional supplements on the market containing both calcium and vitamin D. These supplements usually contain a high dose of calcium and a low dose of vitamin D.

STRONG MARKET POTENTIAL With consumers increasingly reflecting on their health and lifestyles, especially in recent times, the nutraceuticals industry has experienced a surge in demand for health supplements. A survey by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) found that vitamins and minerals continue to be the most frequently mentioned supplement category, with nearly all supplement users reporting their usage in the past year (98%). Owing to its sweet taste and excellent technical properties, galenIQ is an excipient of

PHARMA FOCUS: EXCIPIENTS

choice for manufacturers of vitamin D tablets and chewables, who are looking to make the most of this wellness trend. GalenIQ is known for its outstanding taste properties that make medicine taste great. It is manufactured under cGMP conditions according to the IPEC-PQG requirements for pharmaceutical excipients and complies with the current Ph. Eur., BP, USP-NF and JP monographs for isomalt.

TECHNICAL FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS When developing direct compression vitamin D and calcium tablets, it is important that the bulk filler-binder excipient in the formulation fulfils certain functions, such as providing excellent flowability, low hygroscopicity, physical stability during mixing, chemical inertness and high content uniformity.

"Consumer demand is increasing for dietary supplements that prevent vitamin D deficiencies"

GalenIQ 721 fulfils all of these requirements while being nonanimal derived, sugar-free, toothfriendly, suitable for diabetics. In fact, the agglomerate morphology of galenIQ 721 ensures that both the high dosage calcium source and low dosage vitamin D are evenly distributed within the powder mixture. It also ensures that there is a high content of uniformity of both the calcium and vitamin D in the finished dosage form. GalenIQ is the pharmaceutical excipient grade of isomalt, Beneo’s disaccharide alcohol derived from beet sugar. The galenIQ range is available in a wide array of particle size distributions, morphologies and levels of solubility. There are specific grades for direct compression, wet granulation, roller compaction, hot melt extrusion, syrups and pan-coating. This makes it a highly-versatile excipient for oral solid and liquid dosage forms. •

Vitamins are among the most frequently used supplements, according to CRN survey results For more information on Beneo and its ingredients, visit: www.beneo.com and www.beneonews.com, or follow Beneo on Twitter: @_BENEO and LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/beneo. Beneo – www.galenIQ.com Savannah Fine Chemicals – www.savannah.co.za

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY HIGH QUALITY INGREDIENTS FOR WELLNESS INDUSTRIES

RELIABLE – CONSISTENT – SUSTAINABLE – QUALITY DRIVEN

From basic ingredients to specialty actives for key application areas, such as:

Durban: +27 31 202 0794 Email: info@savannah.co.za

www.savannah.co.za

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

PHARMA FOCUS: EXCIPIENTS

Overcome moisture challenges with starch-based excipients Excipient selection, potential interactions, desired release profile and the most appropriate film coating are just some of the many decisions involved in developing a new solid oral dosage form. It’s best to keep the strategy simple by minimising ingredients and process steps, as this is less likely to cause problems and results in the most cost-effective option.

tability is an essential quality attribute for pharmaceutical drug products. Unstable formulations may lead to a loss of active ingredient, making the medicine ineffective. In some cases, it can also lead to the formation of toxic degradation products. Changes in colour and physical appearance on stability can also reduce patient acceptability. Moisture is present in all solid oral dosage

retarding interaction with the moisture sensitive API, Starch 1500 helps to reduce or eliminate the detrimental effects of other excipients. To determine the amount of Starch 1500 that should be included in a formulation, various aspects of the dosage form need to be considered starting with the drug itself and the

forms and is known to be the main cause of degradation, leading to impurities. It is absorbed to varying extents on the surface of powders and carried into the core. To reduce the negative impact of moisture and enhance the stability of formulations, it is important to select the best excipients for the tablet core. Excipients in a drug formulation are generally assumed to be inert, which means they will have no impact on the final formulation; however, some ingredients interact with drugs or other excipients. Core ingredients typically include the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), filler, binder, disintegrant and other enablers or process improvers. Excipients may lose or take up moisture within the core formulation, so it is important to understand the microenvironment surrounding the API and whether the moisture is bound or free. Free water can lead to chemical or physical reactions.

final dosage form, followed by flow, compressibility, disintegration and Comparison of water activity versus loss on drying stability requirements. In most cases, STARCAP drug properties are critical and determine This starch-based excipient has an optimised the choice of excipient to balance these particle morphology to facilitate excellent parameters. Benefits of including Starch 1500 flow in capsule dosage forms. StarCap is in formulations have been observed with designed and manufactured specifically for levels as low as 10% w/w. Starch 1500 can pharmaceutical and nutraceutical capsule be used in combination with other tabletting filling and is a globally acceptable excipient. excipients to enhance the performance of the In comparison to other capsule filling formulation, but unlike fully pregelatinised excipients, StarCap provides excellent starches, starch 1500 does not require compactability to ensure plug formation with superdisintegrant, helping to keep the total dosator encapsulation equipment. cost of the formulation low.

STARCH 1500 Although Starch 1500 has a relatively high moisture content, it has very low water activity – providing better stability for moisture-sensitive actives. The moisture scavenging properties of Starch 1500 (by hydrogen bonding inside its amorphous structure) make it an excellent excipient to enhance stability. By inhibiting water activity within the formulation and

STARTAB

CONCLUSION

Wet granulation involves multiple steps and the use of moisture, which can cause API degradation. Industry specialists typically use the simplest method, direct compression, which also works well at large manufacturing scale. Colorcon’s newest excipient, StarTab is a directly compressible starch designed specifically for direct compression. It offers benefits in terms of simplifying both the formulation and processing. StarTab also provides improved flow during manufacture, because

For effective drug formulation, it is crucial to consider both the interaction of excipients with the API and the interaction of excipients with moisture. Starch 1500 is a proven and trusted unique pharmaceutical excipient, manufactured exclusively for the global pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. In addition to the selection of core excipients, the use of specialised film coatings such as Opadry amb II, moisture barrier film coating and primary packaging all contribute to managing moisture. With the increasing use of multi-dose pillboxes for geriatric patients, guidance is now being provided on acceptable parameters, not only during the product

Starch 1500 is a partially pre-gelatinised starch

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of its particle shape and size, and enhanced compactibility. The use of superdisintegrants can also be avoided by using StarTab, further simplifying the formulation.

shelf-life but also for the predicted in-use life of the product, reflecting how a patient is likely to remove the drug product from its primary packaging. • Colorcon – www.colorcon.com PA Cuthbert – www.pacuthbert.co.za

Proven and Trusted Excipient • Stabilizes moisture sensitive drugs • Manufactured exclusively for the global pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries • Global regulatory acceptance From Core to Coating, Your Supplier of Choice ®

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Bragan Chemicals set to expand its

personal care portfolio

In a move set to help the business grow substantially – Bragan Chemicals, a subsidiary of the Rolfes Group – was recently de-listed off the JSE while a majority shareholding was acquired by a private equity partner.

he new investors have many business interests throughout Africa with the intention to expand aggressively throughout the African continent. Despite these changes, it is business as usual at Bragan Chemicals. The company offers chemical raw materials and ingredients to various industries, including pharmaceutical, food, animal feed, and industrial sectors. The personal care division, which was

providing unsurpassed service to all our valued personal care customers. She has recently completed the Coschem cosmetic science training course.”

discontinued in 2017, was re-introduced to the business portfolio towards the end of 2018, early 2019. Alan Rahme, Bragan Chemicals’ sales director, comments: “We kick-started the personal care division with a range of commodity products such as surfactants, fatty acids, alcohols, and emulsifiers.” “Musa Sibanda is our senior personal care sales representative and responsible for

range as it would have liked to have been. “Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to manage our stock levels during the turbulent times of lockdown which has not been an easy task. We are now in the process of expanding our existing portfolio and hope to have a range of new products arriving during 2021,” Alan explains. Fortunately, many of the existing product ranges which Bragan Chemicals sells into

PORTFOLIO GROWTH ON THE CARDS Bragan Chemicals has seen the market’s continued interest in speciality ingredients, yet due to the circumstances of the pandemic, the company has not been as progressive with growing its personal care

Johannesburg Johannesburg Head Head Office Office Sevens WarehouseComplex Complex Seven Warehouse 33 Bernie Kya Sands Sands Bernie Street, Street, Unit Unit 3, 3, Kya Tel. Tel. No.: No.: +27 +27 (0) (0) 11 11 708-0007 708-0007 www.braganchemicals.co.za Musa Sibanda +27 (0) 66 485 4622 musa@braganchemicals.co.za

DurbanOffice Office Durban Tel.No.: No.:+27 +27(0)(0)8331252 9424826 9624 Tel. Cape Town Office Cape Town Office Tel. No.: +27 (0) 21 000 3121 Tel. No.: +27 (0) 78 780 9976 Port Elizabeth Office Port Tel. Elizabeth No.: +27 Office (0) 67 421 5187 Tel. No.: +27 (0) 71 213 9288 www.braganchemicals.co.za

WE IT TAKES TAKES WEDO DOWHAT WHAT IT 30

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other industries, cross over with personal care to form part of the company’s expanding portfolio. “We have a range of natural ingredients and actives, including Bulbine frutescens , and Kalahari melon seed, moringa and marula oils to mention a few,” says Alan. Bragan Chemicals offers nationwide distribution to all its customers. The company’s head office is based in Johannesburg with branches in KwaZuluNatal, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). Bragan is also ISO 9001:2015 compliant and recently achieved a Level 3 BEE Certification. “We pride ourselves on our excellent service and will always do our best to ensure that we offer the most competitive prices in the market,” he concludes. • Bragan Chemicals – www.braganchemicals.co.za

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New 100% natural booster Velsan CGE clears up preservation issues

Clariant has expanded its portfolio of preservatives with a new preservative booster that is effective over a wide pH range. Velsan CGE ticks all the boxes for safeguarding consumers while protecting natural, COSMOS-approved leave-on formulations, and its proven performance benefits outperform ethylhexylglycerin. By Dr Tom Fricke, Ute Back and Jörg Grohmann of Clariant

he trend towards more natural formulations continues to grow and includes the design of safe, clean formulations with minimum quantities of preservatives. These formulations must be protected from microbial growth, making efficient preservation a key requirement in formulation design. At the same time, access to information through digital platforms has increased the knowledge of consumers on cosmetic raw materials. For example, there are numerous internet blogs that rank ingredients using the simple traffic light monitoring system, adding to the public scrutiny of certain ingredients. As a consequence, a large number of listed preservatives in annex V of the cosmetic regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 have developed a bad reputation, such as parabens, formaldehyde donors and halogenated compounds. As a result, the number of broadly-accepted preservatives for cosmetics continues to shrink. It is also important to reduce consumers exposure to the limited list of remaining accepted preservatives in order to ensure their safety. A reasonable way to achieve this is to use preservative boosters to decrease the preservative levels to the minimum quantity needed without compromising on performance. There are numerous preservative boosters on the market which support this need, such as ethylhexylglycerin and caprylyl glycol. Yet most of these boosters are fully synthetic. Consequently, formulators still face challenges to preserve highly-natural formulations.

VERSATILE BOOSTERS Clariant has a long and successful track record of developing solutions that support formulation design with maximum microbiological protection, using minimum preservative quantities. Its innovation in the field of preservative boosters follows the

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Figure 1: Velsan CGE (INCI: Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether) is stable over a wide pH range

Table 1: MIC values of Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether

Table 2: Challenge test results of a leave-on product

powerful market trend for renewable and natural solutions. In 2010, Velsan SC (INCI: Sorbitan Caprylate) was launched as a COSMOS and NATRUE conforming multifunctional ingredient with preservative boosting properties and a renewable carbon index (RCI) of 100%.1 Based on Velsan SC, the range has been extended with broad-spectrum efficient

blends like Nipaguard SCE (INCI: Sorbitan Caprylate, Propandiol, Benzoic Acid), Nipaguard SCL (INCI: Sorbitan Caprylate, Potassium Sorbate, Capryloyl/Caproyl Methyl Glucamide) and Nipaguard SCA (INCI: Sorbitan Caprylate, Benzyl Alcohol).2, 3 Clariant continues to explore developments in preservative boosters to help formulators optimise every formulation

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by the grapefruit antioxidant, naringenin. It exhibits good performance over a wide pH range (see Figure 1) and is suited to various cosmetic applications. The product also has appealing physical properties – it is colourless, odourless and acts as a pleasant emollient.

AN EFFICIENT NATURAL SOLUTION

Table 3: Standard emulsion chassis for challenge tests

and cosmetic application. It recently launched the COSMOS-approved Velsan Flex (with a RCI of 93%) to meet the need for water-soluble preservation boosters. Velsan Flex also acts as a PEG-free solubiliser. 4, 5

A NEW NATURAL ALTERNATIVE The Velsan range of natural preservative boosters is also expanding with the introduction of Velsan CGE (INCI: Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether), a new COSMOS-approved multifunctional ingredient with a RCI of 100%, according to DIN ISO 16128. The chemical structure of the multifunctional ingredient is very similar to the well-known fully-synthetic ethylhexylglycerin. Velsan CGE has a straight C8-chain compared to the branched chain of ethylhexylglycerin. This small difference in the molecular structure of the C8-chain enables a production pathway using fully-renewable feedstocks. It also contributes to the successful development of DIN ISO 16128 and COSMOS-fullycompliant natural formulations. Through the presence of the ether bond in the molecule, Velsan CGE shows unique chemical stability and is further stabilised

Did you know? Using Velsan CGE in conventional formulations without a natural focus, such as classic difficult-to-preserve systems like wet wipes, can lead to improved preservation and an overall reduced preservative load.

Formulations often fail on one specific organism; nowadays many natural formulations fail on Aspergillus brasiliensis. This inevitably leads the formulator into a situation where they have to increase the level of preservatives to solve the issue, even though lower concentrations of preservative would work perfectly well on other organisms in the challenge test. This increase in preservative load produces an overall decrease in the RCI of the finished product. In general, formulators are satisfied if natural alternatives like Velsan CGE exhibit parity performance to established synthetic standards. To gauge the strength of Velsan CGE as a preservative booster, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) data is shown in Table 1. The values show that the new multifunctional ingredient outperforms the well-established synthetic benchmark, ethylhexylglycerin. The performance benefits of Velsan CGE compared to ethylhexylglycerin are particularly evident when considering yeast and moulds. In many cases where final formulations fail a challenge test, a weakness exists against the mould Aspergillus brasiliensis. This important performance benefit detailed in the MIC data in Table 1 has also been reconfirmed in challenge tests performed on final formulations. Table 2 shows the results of a challenge test on a simple emulsion formulation (see Table 3), with Velsan CGE compared to ethylhexylglycerin. In this case, the power of Clariant’s natural preservative booster is highly evident – a low level of 0.5% Velsan CGE outperforms 1.5% ethylhexylglycerin, according to Ph. Eur., achieving an A-criteria pass.

By adding Velsan CGE to conventional preservation systems, it is possible to bypass their weak points and to guarantee the excellent microbiological quality of a finished product. Most well-known boosters can negatively impact the product viscosity of emulsions by thinning them. Yet Velsan CGE has the ability to preserve with only one third of the amount of booster required compared to ethylhexylglycerin, reducing the impact on product viscosity, especially for applications such as natural emulsions, face care emulsions, sun care products and makeup. Thanks to the ether chemistry, Velsan CGE behaves independently of pH, in a similar fashion as ethylhexylglycerin and caprylyl glycol. This means it can be combined with any conventional preservative on the market and not just with organic acids at a low pH.

A BALANCING EMOLLIENT IN SKIN CARE Velsan CGE is a pure, oil-soluble, mediumspreading emollient that is easy to add to all kinds of emulsions and oil formulations. Today’s formulators who use multipurpose ingredients must take into account that the addition of this natural preservative booster increases the oil phase of formulation. This makes it possible to decrease cosmetic emollients in the formulation accordingly. A sensorial evaluation of a simple emulsion showed that the substitution of 1% caprylic/ capric triglyceride with Velsan CGE improves the spreadability and wetting properties of the formulation and provides a less greasy, lighter emulsion. • REFERENCE: 1. Pilz F., P. Klug P. (2010). A welcome side effect. Household and Personal Care Today, 3, 22-24. 2. Gauczinski J., Pilz F., Desikan A., Neuhoff H. (2014). New preservation alternatives to meet latest market requirements for safer and greener preservation. SOFW-Journal, 4, 42-47. 3. Gauczinski J., Vielkanowitz C., Lasbistes N. (2017). Next generation preservation options. Personal Care Magazine, 11, 69-72. 4. Schaal P. (2020). A derived natural option supporting less preservative use & more formulation flexibility. Speciality Chemicals, 4, 28-30. 5. Ilao C., Breffa C. (2021). Lightening the load of preservation challenges. Personal Care Magazine, 2, 1-3

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr Tom Fricke is manager technical application cosmetics EMEA at Clariant, while Ute Back is a formulation and application specialist at the company and Jörg Grohmann is a regional head of Clariant’s microbiology lab.

Clariant – www.clariant.com

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

CLEAN BEAUTY

The science of Silanols

– from empirical to hi-tech skin care benefits Silicium is a trace element essential for the development of living organisms. In humans, it is found in connective tissues such as bones, blood vessels and skin. In this article, industry experts from Exsymol discuss the development and substantiated efficacy of silanols – which are more topically bioavailable forms of silicium. By Emmanuel Coste, Lionel Valenti and Pierre-Gilles Markioli

n the 1970s, it was observed that silicium participates in bone mineralisation, reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases by contributing to the elasticity of blood vessels and has protective properties against certain neurodegenerative diseases.1 In addition, silicium generates interactions with keratin fibres, strengthening hair and nails.2 The body has a pool of silicium that decreases with age.3, 4 It has been shown that this deficit could be filled by an oral silicium supplementation that improves the quality of hair, nails and skin.2 However, the form of silicium found in food is poorly absorbed and not evenly distributed throughout the body. In order to specifically increase the amount of silicium in the skin for improving its quality, a topical application became relevant. However, the most common forms of silicium barely penetrate the skin barrier.

Figure 1: Silicium improves fibroblast morphology: in this morphological study, microphotographs of young and aged fibroblasts, treated or untreated with a silanol, show that the treatment increases the points of cell adhesion to the matrix Figure 2: Silicium improves the quality of the skin: 2 A) microphotographies of human skin explants from aged donors that were treated for nine days with silanol in topical application. The thickness of the epidermis (in pink) is normalised and the number of collagen fibres (in blue) are increased for a denser dermis 2 B) microphotographs of crow’s feet wrinkles after 28 days of treatment with silanol 2 C) representative photographs of a patient who received a treatment with a silanol for 28 days. Wrinkles are filled (arrows) and the face contour is redefined (dots)

TOPICALLY BIOAVAILABLE SILANOLS In 1970, Jean Gueyne was told that repeated manual contact with silica seemed to improve the quality of the skin of the hands. He then founded Exsymol with MarieChristine Seguin. And in 1974 the first silanols, topically more bioavailable forms of silicium, were born. Then, because of the extremely limited available bibliographic data on the specific effects of silicium on the skin, Exsymol started studying its mechanisms of action at the cutaneous

Did you know? Silicium is found in all compartments of the skin. Empirical data suggests its interactions with fibroblasts, collagen fibres and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), ensuring skin’s biomechanical capacities. Access to high-tech exploratory technologies has allowed Exsymol to bring new elements of understanding to silicium and its benefits in skin care.

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level. Today, Exsymol is represented in South Africa by Maccallum, which ensures the availability of Exsymol’s innovative cosmetic ingredients to the local market. Silanols are cosmetic active ingredients composed of an organic silicium core – methylsilanetriol (MTS) – associated with active molecules of cosmetic interest such as caffeine, hyaluronic acid or even salicylic acid. The possibilities of silanols are many thanks to Exsymol’s expertise. Combining MTS with a molecule creates a synergy of activity. The silicium also improves the penetration and bioavailability of the associated molecule.

SKIN BENEFITS At skin level, preclinical and clinical studies have shown that silicium has pro-healing and anti-ageing benefits, such as reducing wrinkles thanks to its restructuring action on the extracellular matrix.5, 6, 7 However, its mode of action remained poorly understood. In order to identify the effects of silanols on different cell types, Exsymol’s research laboratories conducted tests on various skin cells. Keratinocytes treated with MTS showed an increased synthesis of hyaluronic acid, an increased proliferation as well as an improved migration capacity for optimised healing.

CLEAN BEAUTY

Maccallum is proud to be the exclusive distributor of Exsymol products in Southern Africa. Figure 3: Location of silicium in the skin: SIMS technology allows for the viewing of different atoms of carbon-nitrogen (26CN to visualise other cells) or silicium (28Si, white grains) in the different skin compartments (e: epidermis; d: dermis) of explants that received a topical treatment with silanol for 48 hours. The presence of silicium was observed (a) and then quantified in each skin compartment (b) *** p value <0.001

At the fibroblast level, MTS stimulates the production of collagen fibres and increases the number of their points of adhesion (see Figure 1) to the fibres of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which gives the skin greater density and improved flexibility and elasticity. At the hypodermis level, adipocytes have their lipolytic and lipogenic activities either stimulated or inhibited. MTS also allows a normalised metabolism for optimal fat control. Therefore, silanols contribute to a firmer skin.

FROM 3D MODELS TO CLINICAL TESTS The structural role of silanols has been studied using more complex biological models (reconstructed epidermis, reconstructed whole skin, human skin explants etc.). These analyses show that a topical treatment with a silanol allows the silicium to penetrate the skin and act in depth. Using various histological techniques, it has been shown that MTS increases the thickness and quality of the epidermis. The barrier function is improved for a better protected and more hydrated skin. In the dermis, a topical silanol treatment increases the amount of collagen fibres (see Figure 2A).

These observations have been confirmed by clinical studies where the skin is densified and more flexible and elastic, leading to the filling of wrinkles (see Figure 2B and 2C). In addition, by organising the interactions between fibroblasts, collagen and elastin fibres and GAGs, silanols globally allow the skin to regain the firmness and elasticity that was altered during ageing (see Figure 2C).

HI-TECH METHODS A KEY HIGHLIGHT

Exsymol, global leaders in silanol technology, are also renowned for their range of natural actives, peptides and amino acids, with clinically optimised bioavailability.

Exsymol has made breakthroughs in the understanding of the effects of silicium on the skin, thanks to the accessibility of complex high-tech detection and analysis techniques for dermo-cosmetics (SIMS, AFM, TEM, etc.). Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) technology identifies the elemental, isotopic or molecular composition of a tissue. Using this technology on skin biopsies made it possible for the first time to follow the distribution of silicium in the different skin compartments after a topical application of silanol. These studies have shown an increase in the amount of silicium in the epidermis and in the dermis (see Figure 3). The use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has made

www.maccallum.co.za www.exsymol.com

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CLEAN BEAUTY

it possible to explore more finely the effects of ageing on the structure of the dermis. Ageing is responsible for the disappearance of structures with a high density of collagen, the role of which is to ensure the firmness and the elasticity of the ECM. After 48 hours of treatment of a skin explant with a silanol, the number of collagen fibres increased and were organised in dense clusters. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a technique for measuring pressure and contact forces on a nanoscale. Older

"Advanced technologies have enabled Exsymol to explore the mechanisms inherent to silanols and their effects on skin"

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fibroblasts lose both their ability to bind collagen fibres and to contract. While this phenomenon causes a loss of the skin’s biomechanical properties, treatment with a silanol restores the fibroblasts’ tensile forces and ensures the correct arrangement of the collagen fibres. These observations demonstrated the surprising effect of silanols on fibre organisation in the papillary dermis. During ageing, these fibres show a strong loss of anisotropy when compared to young skins that are aligned and they display a thickening of the bundles of collagen fibres. A treatment with a silanol makes it possible to recover the anisotropy of the fibres to a state that is comparable to young skin, resulting in restructured skin.

Empirical observations placing silicium as a key player in skin homeostasis required new insights to understand the different mechanisms of action involved. Advanced technologies have enabled Exsymol to explore the mechanisms inherent to silanols and their effects on skin, especially in the field of biomechanics. This work further strengthens Exsymol’s expertise and its understanding of the role of silicium, and in particular, silanols in the skin. •

REFERENCE: 1. Götz W et al., 2019. Pharmaceutics, 11, 117: 1 to 27 2. Barel A et al., 2005. Arch Dermatol Res, 297: 147 to 153 3. Bissé E et al., 2005. Anal Biochem 337: 130 to 5

CONCLUSION

4. Jugdaohsingh R et al., 2015. Bone, 75: 40 to 48

Silanols are cosmetic active ingredients capable of supplementing skin with silicium. They stimulate the activity of skin cells and play an essential role in the organisation of ECM and in the quality of the skin as a whole.

5. Schwarz K, 1973. PNAS, 70: 1608 to 16012 6. Reffitt DM et al., 2003. Bone, 32: 127 to 135 7. Deglesne P-A et al., 2018. Medical Devices: Evidence and Research, 11: 313 to 320.

Exsymol – www.exsymol.com/en Maccallum – www.maccallum.co.za

CLEAN BEAUTY

Capture the desert chill vibe to fight ‘anxi-aging’

Stress and anxiety have been exacerbated due to the global pandemic. ‘Covid face’ has become a big concern for consumers worldwide with anxiety accelerating the visible signs of ageing. To counter this, IFF-Lucas Meyer Cosmetics presents IBR-Chill, a technology that captures and transfers the desert chill vibe to bring meditation benefits and fight anxi-aging.

nxiety and stress activate the skin’s immune cells, initiating a local stress response and a vicious cycle of stress-induced inflammatory events. Inflammation accelerates the skin’s cellular ageing, resulting in ‘anxi-aging’. According to Shlomi Krispin, production line manager at IFF-Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, ‘anxi-aging’ is the combination of stress and anxiety which makes us age faster.

MEDITATION IN A BOTTLE

With IBR-Chill, IFF-Lucas Meyer Cosmetics has developed a technology with a unique mode of action which captures and transfers the desert chill vibe to bring meditation benefits and fight Anxi-Aging. This new ingredient blocks the stress receptor CRH-R1 and biomimics the effects of meditation. It does this by preventing NFkB activation and related proinflammatory cytokine production to deliver a novel cosmetic strategy to fight skin ‘anxi-aging’. Available in South Africa from Orkila, IBRChill is a perfect active ingredient to improve the appearance of skin affected by stress and anxiety for more healthy and youthfullooking skin. Tested on a psychologically stressed population, 1% IBR-Chill in a formulation reduced the appearance of wrinkles and

A CLEAN BEAUTY INGREDIENT • localised sourcing alongside the production site • complete traceability to the field • long-term corporation agreements with the growers • 98.8% natural origin content in accordance with the ISO 16128 standard • vegan compatible • preservative free

improved skin elasticity and firmness. It also reduced skin microcirculation, skin redness and the appearance of red spots while improving skin’s resilience to fight heat and chemical stress induced inflammation (see Figure 1).

A SUSTAINABLE EXTRACT

Based on renewable biomass, IBR-Chill is a sustainable extract of the pink rock rose, grown organically in the Israeli desert. Mindful about the environment and water usage, the growers use advanced precision irrigation methods for sustainable agriculture practice in the desert. The extract is also fully traceable. In order to ensure high quality and efficacy reproducibility, IBR-Chill is standardised in myricitrin, a known anti-anxiety active, naturally occurring flavonoid glycoside. This China compliant active answers market needs in terms of naturalness and sustainability. •

Figure 1: The positive effects of 1% IBR-Chill in a formulation

Azelis/Orkila – www.azelis.com IFF-Lucas Meyer Cosmetics – www.lucasmeyercosmetics.com/en

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

LABELLING

Solutions to protect pharmaceutical packaging Counterfeit goods – including counterfeit pharmaceutical products – cost a fraction of the price of the original goods. This means that people who under normal circumstances would not have access to those products can now afford them, creating a demand for dangerous goods. TracePack offers a range of anti-counterfeting labelling solutions and track and trace technology proven to protect consumers and the intellectual property of pharma manufacturers.

ccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to two billion people worldwide lack access to necessary medicines, vaccines, medical devices including in vitro diagnostics, and other health products, which creates a vacuum that is too often filled by substandard and falsified products. This problem is growing as global supply chains become more complex, meaning products manufactured in one country may be packaged in a second country and distributed across borders to be marketed or sold to consumers in a third. The growth of e-commerce also contributes to this challenge by making it easier to purchase medicines online, often from unauthorised sources.

Counterfeit medicines affect economies in several areas: • individuals fall victim to low-quality counterfeit products that may not adequately treat their medical needs • legitimate producers can lose sales to counterfeiters, sparking the need for steps to combat fake products and to ensure that counterfeiters do not infiltrate their supply chains • governments and their active involvement in managing healthcare in countries • entire economies, in the form of the impact on crime levels, the environment and possible effects on jobs and foreign investment.

MOST GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS ARE AFFECTED It is often assumed that high-income countries with strong regulatory systems can effectively exclude substandard and falsified medical products from their

markets, but WHO analysis shows that this is not necessarily the case. Reports on these products have been submitted by countries in Western Europe and North America as well as other highincome settings. In an analysis of cases of counterfeit incidents involving the penetration of legitimate supply chains and reported to PSI CIS database between 2009 and 2011, Mackey et al. (2015) revealed that upper and lowermiddle income countries comprised 93% of all cases. Analysis of the health consequences of falsified medicines performed by Rahman et al. (2018) showed that the 48 reported incidents involving health damage due to falsified medicines were almost equally distributed among developing (27 cases, 56.3%) and developed countries (21 cases, 43.7%). TracePack is the licensed African distributor of Arca and specialises in the sale of equipment to mark, code or label any products. The latest labelling system within the Arca Pharma labelling machine line is the Pharma Seal 4.0, which offers high-speed tamper evident label application on pharmaceutical packaging. With a compact stainless steel main base

Shrink wrap inspection

Pharma Seal 4.0 Pharmaceutical tamper seal inspection

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LABELLING

of just 1 320mm, this automatic industrial pharmaceutical labelling machine is designed to meet the requirements of tamper-evident labelling within operational pharmaceutical packaging lines. It does this by applying one or two tamper evident seal labels on pharmaceutical formed cardboard boxes at speeds of up to 300 products per minute, with advanced 4.0 functions.

ENABLING TRACK AND TRACE The customs departments of European countries seize up to 2.4 million counterfeit pharmaceutical packages each year. According to WHO estimates, it is assumed that around 10% of all medicines worldwide is counterfeit. In developing countries, that proportion even rises to 30%. It is not only luxury pharmaceuticals but also antibiotics, cholesterol and cancer drugs that are in demand and the damage is not merely financial. It is therefore more important than ever in the fight against drug counterfeiters to have clear identification and traceability of the original products. TracePack’s range of In-Sight vision systems makes it possible to verify labels safely, identify codes and optical character

Pharmatrack Seal 4.0 ink jet print module

recognition data, ensuring the track and trace of pharmaceutical folding boxes. As manufacturers and brand owners prepare for compliance with global traceability requirements and transition

that all of the encoded data is accurate and correctly formatted. The In-Sight track and trace software works with network In-Sight vision systems to create a complete identification and data verification solution

from batch to item level serialisation, it is important to remember that compliance requires much more than simply reading a code on a label or packaging part. For mass serialisation to support traceability, it is first essential to verify code quality and validate

for serialised labels on pharmaceutical packaging, making sure that you can easily and cost-effectively comply with patient safety and traceability requirements. •

PharmaTrack Seal

PharmaTrack Seal - Ejector

OCR Mislabelling

Product Security - Label Errors

TracePack – www.tracepack.co.za

Contact TracePack today to learn about the Pharma Seal 4.0 which offers high-speed, tamperevident label applications on pharmaceutical packaging.

www.tracepack.co.za | +27 10 020 7221

PharmaTrack Seal - Inkjet Print Module

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

LABELLING

Great labels provide a

winning formula for good hair care Volumicious is a hair care range that provides a permanent solution to different hair problems experienced by men, women and children. Zoey Mkabela founded the brand in 2016 and has been a client of Labels by Rusbar since then for its high-quality digitally printed labels. This is their story. By Abby Vorster

oey lost her hair during pregnancy. So, she decided to research active compounds responsible for hair growth during her maternity leave. She found a significant amount of these active compounds and tested them on her hair to establish their efficacy. Through a friend, Zoey contacted a local cosmetic manufacturing company, which blended the active compounds and provided her with samples. She then tested the formulation on her hair and within 12 months Zoey’s hair had grown from neck length to almost mid-back length. With these results, Zoey sought to launch a hair care product that would help people regain their confidence. Volumicious then grew into a full range of products formulated to assist with hair growth and to restore and maintain healthy hair. “We don’t just sell products. We are committed to educating women, men and children on proper hair care and we encourage them to start their natural hair journey,” she explains. “People face different kinds of hair problems. The most common we encounter are receding hairlines, balding, bald patches, thinning hair and breakage. What sets our products apart is the results. We show what the products can do and that is important.”

The Volumicious hair care range

"With our seven colour HP Indigo Digital Press … we could meet Zoey’s initial need for smaller quantities of labels for Volumicious"

ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE FOR START-UPS Volumicious caters to all types of African hair from textured and afro to relaxed and dreadlocks. The range consists of a moisturising shampoo, oil and scalp treatment, hair food, oil moisturising spray and deep conditioning treatment all labelled with highquality digitally printed labels supplied by Labels by Rusbar.

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CEO Zoey Mkabela

The HP Indigo WS 3 Series Digital Press

LABELLING

Did you know? Volumicious caters for to all types of African hair, from textured hair to afros and relaxed hair to dreadlocks. The brand’s mandate is to spread a message of hope across the Africancontinent to the men and women who have given up on their hair. Russell Bramwell, Labels by Rusbar’s sales manager, adds: “Fortunately, with our seven colour HP Indigo Digital Press that produces both short and long run labels, we could meet Zoey’s initial need for smaller quantities of labels for Volumicious. The HP Indigo system prints directly from design computer to press, negating the need for printing plates and resulting in significant cost and time savings.”

The South African hair care brand has been working with this Edenvale-based label printer since its inception. Zoey says that Labels by Rusbar’s willingness to accommodate her quantities – which were as small as 50 labels in the beginning – has been amazing. “One of the setbacks for many entrepreneurs is the packaging MOQs. These quantities are often far too big for brand owners who are just starting out as entrepreneurs in the cosmetics industry,” she comments.

FULLY EQUIPPED PRINTING FACILITY Labels by Rusbar has been in business for more than 25 years, offering a complete solution for all label and printing requirements. It provides a wide variety of printing services and caters to all its customers’ needs with fast turnaround times, great service and competitive pricing. Striving to move forward at all times, the printing company has installed the latest HP Indigo WS 3 Series Digital Press. This is the

market-leading narrow-web printing solution for digital labels and flexible packaging production, delivering high productivity, wide versatility and intelligent colour automation. “We are now able to offer our clients a wider range of products from labels, shrink sleeves and in-mould labels to wraparound labels, pouches, sachets and folding cartons. The press also has variable data capabilities allowing for unlimited designs of barcodes, text, images and security features,” says Russell. With its one to five colour flexographic printers, die cutting facilities and a digital printing and cutting department, Labels by Rusbar is fully equipped to cater to customers many requirements. He adds, “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to partner with Zoey on her journey. Her drive and entrepreneurial spirit were immediately evident when we took her on as a client. No run is too short or too long for Labels by Rusbar. We are here to solve your printing problems – like we have done for Zoey and many other clients.” • Labels by Rusbar – www.rusbar.co.za Volumicious – www.volumicious.co.za

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

LABELLING

Gain supply chain efficiencies with

centralised label management Pharmaceutical supply chains across the world are digitising. It is a process that involves the implementation of AI, big data analytics, large-scale automation, digital twins and a plethora of other technological advancements, which help to revolutionise the entire industry. This is done by breaking down siloed processes, departments and facilities. By Ken Moir of NiceLabel

espite all the focus on digitisation, many companies have not yet implemented the proper infrastructure to enable centralised, highlevel computing or to even ensure consumer safety with readily available technology solutions. Although there is a growing interest in digitised and centralised management systems, labelling is often particularly behind the curve. Today, across the supply chains of many pharmaceutical manufacturers, there is very little control or central oversight in place. That’s a serious concern given the plethora of challenges the industry is facing, which modernised labelling systems can help to address. Maintaining the highest possible level of quality is the key issue all pharmaceutical manufacturers of today are looking to address and they need to

be focused on those areas where they can deliver improvements. In this context, mislabelling is a serious concern and often results in major product recalls. Remember the recall of the antidepressant Mirtazapine, which was withdrawn from the market due to a labelling error on declared strength – where bottles labelled as 7.5mg may have contained 15mg tablets.

"Aggregation offers an opportunity to not only comply but also streamline processes"

BEYOND SERIALISATION AND AGGREGATION Modern label management systems improve safety and efficiency by centralising and digitising the quality assurance process, making it more reliable, flexible and less prone to errors. Taking people out of the process reduces risk and cost and makes the process faster. This more automated approach also presents an opportunity for manufacturers to ensure that they achieve compliance with future regulations around aggregation in order to fight counterfeiting and ‘double sell’, for example. More broadly, in terms of business benefits, serialisation and aggregation offer pharmaceutical manufacturers and their supply chains an opportunity to achieve a competitive advantage and dramatically increase efficiency by producing more.

A centralised and digitised pharmaceutical packing line eliminates the need for manual checks

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LABELLING

NiceLabel’s Label Cloud system supports faster time to market and rapid ROI

While pharmaceutical manufacturers have had to comply with serialisation regulations, in certain countries they are increasingly having to address rules around aggregation, where records are kept of all the serial numbers and the relationships between them. Aggregation is also crucial to improving supply chain visibility, without having to unpack pallets and boxes while they move through a complex system of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. The ability to handle aggregation, especially for contract manufacturers serving the industry, can be a point of differentiation and effectively a sales tool.

AN UNWIELDY PROCEDURE Often, we see semi-automated systems in place, brought in (in haste) to address these needs. Yet they aren’t fully integrated or centralised in terms of their management and are therefore unable to drive through process improvements. All processes and associated modifications are carried out on the production line itself. Pharmaceutical manufacturers in this situation will need to design their labels and test them on the line, which leads to downtime. While aggregation can be achieved without a centralised label management system, manufacturers will only be able to do so by individually testing and verifying the

Did you know? Today, it is easier and faster than ever to deploy and use a centralised label management solution remotely in the cloud. This is thanks to the advent of cloudbased systems, which support faster time to market and rapid ROI. These labelling solutions can also be delivered either in a private or public cloud.

Instead, manufacturers should think of it as a move to generally improve their packaging. In this context, they should be looking to centralise and digitise as much production line for each specific product’s label variant. The line cannot run during this process, so it’s typically done after hours to not interfere with production. Pharmaceutical products are normally customer or market-specific, resulting in lots of different label formats and variations, even of the same product, making the challenge very real. If there is no centralised system in place, the testing and verification process needs to be completed separately for each product and label variant. And labels will often have to be redesigned for each SKU.

MOVING TO CENTRALISED PROCESSES The hypothetical scenario outlined in this article is inevitably a cumbersome and inefficient process. However, if a label management system could be used to decouple the layout from the production line setup, and handle the design and verification process offline, manufacturers may get by with a single verification run. They could also digitise their label approval workflows and automate the line deployment of the right layouts for the right products. In summary, such a system can make aggregation easier for manufacturers, eliminating the need to set up products and lines after hours and to reduce the number verification runs. So, given the benefits, why haven’t more pharmaceutical manufacturers moved to a centralised label management approach? Part of the reason is that, so far, many have been focused mainly on serialisation to the exclusion of all else. Today, they are focusing more on aggregation, yet they should not focus on it purely for the sake of aggregation.

as possible rather than having to manually check everything. Against this backdrop, aggregation offers an opportunity to not only comply but also streamline processes to automate and digitise quality control – which is where centralised label management plays an important role. By doing this, manufacturers remove the drain on productivity and resources of having to manually carry out labelling processes after hours. It also significantly reduces manual verification and quality control methods leaving manufacturers standing to benefit from rapid ROI. Also critical, by reducing manual processes that are in place, the potential for errors and mislabelling is decreased. It is time for the pharmaceutical industry to start moving beyond time-consuming and unproductive manual workarounds, to embracing the benefits of centralised label management, especially when it’s carried out remotely in the cloud. •

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ken Moir is the VP of marketing at NiceLabel. He has over 25 years’ experience as an international technology leader, specifically in the fields of product, channel, vertical and alliance sales and marketing. Moir is an AIDC industry veteran with diverse market and technology knowledge, including barcoding, RFID, mobility, SAP and label management systems.

NiceLabel – www.nicelabel.com

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

LABELLING

Combatting counterfeit beauty in e-commerce

Online sales of cosmetics are driving the high numbers of counterfeits infiltrating the market, calling for additional product security and anti-counterfeiting packaging. Tamper Technologies explores the ways in which tamper evident labels and seals provide anti-counterfeiting solutions to beauty and personal care brands.

hile e-commerce alongside the pandemic have redefined the way consumers shop, there is a growing dark side to the beauty industry which cannot be ignored. This is the rapid global expansion of counterfeit beauty products which look to exploit consumer demand and threaten public health and the bottom lines of global cosmetic and beauty brands. The global cosmetics industry was valued at $523bn in 2017 and is expected to reach $863bn by 2024, according to Zion Market Research. Massive growth such as this is very attractive to counterfeiters. Counterfeiting is the ugly side of the global beauty and personal care industry. Anti-counterfeit packaging in the form of applying tamper evident labels on products and security tapes on cartons and pallets not only layers brand security solutions, but also protects consumers and brands. In fact, it is the primary indicator protecting consumers from counterfeits.

SAFEGUARD BRANDS AND CONSUMER HEALTH Fake products seized in the USA have been found to contain high levels of dangerous substances including lead, cyanide, arsenic and mercury. Counterfeit products are also often manufactured in unregulated conditions where quality and hygiene standards are questionable. These products have also been found to be contaminated with high levels of dangerous bacteria like E. coli as well as animal faeces and urine. The health risks associated with using fake makeup or skin care products are high and can result in chemical burns and skin rashes. With the unassuming addition of a real tamper evident label on a product’s primary packaging, brand owners and manufacturers can protect consumers, guarantee a product’s authenticity and safeguard their brands. Security packaging also counters the counterfeiters while increasing consumer confidence.

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Tamper evident labels include QR codes that can be scanned to verify the authenticity of a product

An example of a container security seal

UNIQUE LABELS OFFER ENDLESS CHOICE

polythene bags, packaging and more. As a manufacturer of tamper evident solutions, the company provides customers with standard and customer applicationspecific solutions, depending on the requirements. Special consideration is given to application parameters such as substrate, sealing site, temperature, humidity and the expressed concern of the pilfering method or location – such as the outer packaging or inner bag etc. The end result is high-quality solutions produced in a fast, thorough and repeatable manner with a heavy focus on process control and documentation. Tamper Technologies is ISO90001:2015 compliant and Intertek approved. It is also a recipient of the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation. These awards recognise the company’s success on a global level. •

“Packaging is the first and last line of defence for the consumer as the counterfeiters are continually improving their product replication of boxes and bottles. The addition of a unique tamper evident label will alert the consumer to the authenticity of a product and its packaging,” Harriet Chiles, Tamper Technologies’ general manager explains. “Our real tamper evident labels support anticounterfeiting packaging challenges. The labels can be clear or coloured, small or large, overt or covert and can even contain security or advertising-based messaging. The choice is yours!” Tamper Technologies develops tamper evident labels to be unique to each brand, allowing brands to convey their commitment to consumer protection.

STANDARD AND CUSTOMISABLE SOLUTIONS Although Tamper Technologies is based in the UK, its range of security tapes and tamper evident labels significantly enhance the worldwide protection and safety of single items, cartons, crates,

Tamper Technologies – www.tampertech.com

LABELLING

New hot melt adhesive range enhances sustainability in packaging Henkel is helping packaging manufacturers advance their sustainability goals with Technomelt Supra Eco. This new range of hot melt adhesives delivers greater sustainability and lower CO2 emissions while maintaining the performance of the Supra range.

he innovative adhesives are the result of a successful partnership with Dow, which developed a bio-based polyolefin elastomer that can effectively substitute fossilbased materials. The International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) process will guarantee traceable sourcing, offering packaging manufacturers a dependable solution. The new Technomelt Supra Eco range was developed using the most innovative raw material toolbox available. One key element is Affinity RE from Dow – the first bio-based, high performing polyolefin elastomers on the market. Made with tall oil – a by-product created by the papermilling industry and ultimately sourced from sustainably managed forests, Affinity RE allows for the substitution of fossil fuel and the creation of breakthrough products like Henkel Technomelt Supra Eco. These new eco products deliver the same adhesion, set and open time, and heat resistance performance of the existing Technomelt Supra range, while providing a sustainable and low-carbon alternative for consumer goods and packaging applications. These properties directly play into customer expectations and current market demands.

Up to 98% biobased content is used to produce the new high-performance Technomelt Supra Eco hot melt adhesive range

MAKING PACKAGING MORE SUSTAINABLE “Our new ECO range has been developed to enable our customers to reach their sustainability goals. The expectations of consumers, brand owners and regulators are changing. With this, industry demands are changing too. The use of bio-based material in consumer goods and packaging is an important driver for sustainable sourcing and a lever to reduce one’s environmental footprint,” explains Jenna Koenneke, global head of market strategy for consumer good adhesives at Henkel. The new high-performance hot melt adhesive range includes two grades with

up to 98% biobased content and provides a way to optimise the carbon footprint of end products and packaging. As well as consuming fewer sustainable raw materials to produce, they enable more sustainable production processes and are compatible with paper recycling streams. “Consumers expect more sustainability from the products they use, and packaging is no exception,” says Imran Munshi, Dow P&SP EMEA consumer marketing manager. “At Dow we’re proud to be embarking on a journey towards greater sustainability alongside innovative partners such as Henkel.” •

Did you know? Henkel and its partner manufacturing plants have implemented the mass balance concept, which is being certified by ISCC. This will guarantee traceability of biocontent throughout the supply chain and adherence to sustainable sourcing. These responsible raw material choices ensure that the Technomelt Supra Eco range can offer a very high carbon footprint reduction leading to the lowest possible environmental impact. Dow – www.dow.com Henkel – www.henkel.com

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

LABELLING

Software platform delivers

consumer insight and brand protection Security and brand engagement specialist Eltronis Group has launched engage, a new cloud-based software solution. The software provides brands with a simple, yet sophisticated tool to link products to the internet through consumers’ smartphones.

elivering trust and transparency to brands worldwide, engage is designed to meet the growing demand for a simple solution that allows consumers and brands to interact and communicate, while protecting goods. Across the world, counterfeiting is becoming increasingly prevalent, with online sales making it easy for fraudsters to trick consumers and replace genuine items with fakes. By adding engage to products, brands can help counter the problem, promoting the source of the item, and building protection against potential counterfeits. From cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to wines and spirits, consumers simply use their smartphones to scan the packaging and launch an online link defined by the product being viewed. Brands select the website they want consumers to see, enabling relevant information to be shared and unlocking insights into the purchasing process through the engage platform. Pete Smallwood, business development manager for Eltronis, said: “We see engage answering many of the questions that brands have in relation to the consumer purchasing decision, by enabling direct communication at the point of purchase.”

Did you know? Engage provides beauty brands with an open line of communication with users. With the cloud-based solution, brands can unlock invaluable data concerning user preferences, behaviours and purchasing history. The app also allows brands to deploy marketing campaigns, ensure product authenticity and compliance, educate and inform customers, and troubleshoot, all in one place.

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

ENDLESS CAPABILITIES AND OPTIONS In the development of engage, Eltronis used its experience in security techniques and packaging gained from protecting high security identification documents. The software platform can be tailored to each brand’s specific requirements and is accessed via a visible or hidden QR code and serial number added to the packaging. This provides brands and consumers access to a wide variety of information through creating a simple digital fingerprint, which increases security, visibility and insight across the supply chain. “With engage, consumers can interact with brands much more easily via their smartphones, giving them online access to the latest information,” Smallwood continues. “The capabilities are endless, from providing information on the authenticity and provenance of an item to delivering the latest online promotions, competitions and brand information.”

INSTANT VERIFICATION OF PHARMA PRODUCTS Pharmaceutical goods are a key target for counterfeiters due to the high monetary value they can generate. Such counterfeits can simply be ineffective, but in a worst-case scenario, they can cause additional suffering or serious side effects. When a pharmaceutical brand is compromised by counterfeiters, medical establishments become reluctant to prescribe those products. This is where engage can make a difference.

By scanning packaging with a smartphone, consumers gain direct online access to multiple layers of product information

"With engage, consumers can interact with brands much more easily via their smartphones" The app gives the patients 100% confidence in the medication they have been prescribed. By scanning packaging with their smartphone, they can get instant verification that the medication is genuine, along with other vital information such as dosage, storage, shelf-life, and side effects. Engage also provides pharmaceutical brands with an effective anti-counterfeit weapon that allows end users to play an active part in reducing counterfeits. While there are traditional security features available, such as holograms, they rely on the end user knowing what to look for. Engage breaks the mould by giving the end user instant verification at the point of purchase, simply by using their smartphone. This authentication can be done by the medical practitioner, dispensing chemist, consumer, or all of the above, ensuring confidence that the patient receives the medication they need. • Eltronis – www.engage.link

LABELLING

Keep it simple, effective and secure Protecting against counterfeiting and warning of tampering or incorrect storage is essential for pharmaceutical products. Add to this increased legislation and consumer demand for information and pharmaceutical manufacturers have many packaging challenges to contend with.

ix-a-Form informational booklet labels from Pyrotec PackMedia have four major benefits for pharmaceutical packaging. 1. Simplicity: • With informational booklet labels, there are fewer packaging components. This not only satisfies legislation, but also simplifies logistics and reduces costs. • Booklet labels decrease inventory and improve security because there are fewer components to store, handle and check. • Packaging lines can be simplified by, for example, doing away with expensive cartoning equipment, which can slow production. They can also eliminate manual leaflet insertion, or having to match several packaging elements, such as leaflet, label and carton together on the packing line. • Multilingual labels avoid having to produce separate packaging for each language version.

2. Automatic application: • Booklet labels are supplied on-reel for automatic application. • Standard labelling equipment is used. • Applicators can be easily installed for temporary use. • When applying booklet labels, changes to existing production lines are usually unnecessary, or at worst minor.

Fix-a-Form booklet labels by Pyrotec

THE

Buyer’sguide 3. Increased security: • Fix-a-Form booklet labels adhere directly to and remain with the product, which means important user instructions are safe and secure. • Dual barcodes can be added to the Fix-aForm label to ensure the correct booklet-tolabel match. • Security features can be incorporated into the label to deter counterfeiting. • Tactile warning triangles and braille can be added as options to alert the visually

impaired when handling a potentially dangerous product.

4. Added value: • Instructions and other value-adding information can be incorporated into these informational booklet labels. • Extra pages provide space to promote other related products or to provide consumers with more information. • Give-away items such as sachets or fridge magnets and stickers can be incorporated. •

2017/2018

Pyrotec – www.pyrotec.co.za

THE

Buyer’sguide

2020/2021

The directory for manufacturers of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, toiletries, packaging and the printing industry

Available online: www.thebuyersguide.co.za

Available online: www.thebuyersguide.co.za Buyers Guide 2018.indd 1

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021 2018/05/07 3:09 PM

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Coschem thrives through digital connections Despite the disconnection of 2020, Coschem managed to keep its members and the industry connected through a series of highly successful online events. The society has also remained in a healthy financial position, which is noteworthy considering the devasting economic impact of COVID-19. These and other achievements were highlighted during Coschem’s virtual AGM on 11 February. By Abby Vorster

HEALTHY FINANCIAL RESULTS Even with a decrease in total revenue by 57% (as a result of COVID-19 restrictions on physical-gathering-related income source activities such as conferences, seminars, social functions and the gala dinner etc.), Coschem’s non-physical-gathering revenue sources realised an increase. This was mainly attributable to educational courses and subscriptions, up 10% and 2% respectively from 2019. The reduction of direct costs by 90% translated into a substantially lower decrease in gross surplus,

MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

Ivor Zwane; Nicola Barnard-Marais; Andre Burger; Beverley Gardner (chair of the scientific committee); Kudzai Gwazira (education officer); Aeysha Jakoet (chair of the PR committee); Charis Lewis; Lumbi Moyo; Sapphirah Phala; Jacques Strydom (chair of the lecture evening committee); Anina van der Walt; Johrinda van Rensburg; and Wayne van Wyk. Enthusiastic about her role as the 2021 president, Charmaine said that Coschem and all its members are a family. “I see Coschem and all the members as family – being part of this amazing group and family is

Kim MacCallum

COSCHEM COUNCIL 2021

ver 70 participants gathered down by 18% in comparison to the online for the 2020 AGM of prior year. Coschem achieved a the Society of Cosmetic surplus from operations with other Chemists (Coschem). Kim MacCallum, income and operating/overhead who was the society’s president last expenses remaining fairly stable in year, summed up 2020 “as the year comparison to the prior year. that changed us all”! 2020 was a challenging year for She recalled talking about predictions most organisations to match cash flow for 2020 and how some of them pointed and keep things alive. This is especially The logo and theme of to extreme weather and a technology relevant to those organisations Coschem’s virtual scientific blow-up. conference. The scientific that are non-profit. Yet despite the committee is currently “We certainly got the technology part absence of revenue-generating events, planning the 2021 event right,” said Kim, highlighting the explosion Coschem’s financial results show that of Tik Tok and videoconferencing. “Oddly enough, the society is still in a very healthy position, as Coschem’s theme for 2020 was connection – and as confirmed by FTR Services. the world went into lockdown, the need for connection FTR Services was re-appointed as the society’s could not have been stronger.” auditor for the 2020 financial year. This appointment She reiterated that her year as Coschem’s president was proposed by Andre Burger, seconded by Wayne was interesting – to say the least. “Although we didn’t van Wyk, and unanimously ratified. have our usual annual get togethers, conferences and gala dinners, I must say this amazing committee COUNCIL AND OFFICE BEARERS has kept the society alive and has breathed in a new Kim MacCallum handed the presidency over to energy. A big thank you to all the members, and Charmaine Du Preez. Liesl Keulder was nominated especially to Bridget, who has managed even more as vice president. Ivor Zwane was re-elected as events (be it virtual) after hours than ever before. honorary secretary. Erica de Kock re-elected as Without all of you – we would have had a very honorary treasurer and re-nominated to chair the different result last year,” she explained. coastal chapters. Kim also highlighted the contributions and activities Samantha Pols and René Spada have served of the various committees, which include the their terms on council and stand down. education, social, morning seminar, PR, scientific, and Charis Lewis, Sapphirah Phala and Johrinda lecture evening committees. van Rensburg are the new nominates, who were “The efforts of these committees play a significant accepted and co-opted onto the council. role in the ongoing success of the society – thank you Coschem’s 2021 council includes: Charmaine du to everyone involved,” she added. Preez; Liesl Keulder; Kim MacCallum; Erica De Kock;

Charmaine du Preez

Liesl Keulder

Ivor Zwane

Erica de Kock

ASSOCIATION NEWS

an honour. We learn from each other, support each other and grow together. I want to thank everyone for staying committed in 2020, even though we had to change the way we do things, going online and connecting virtually mostly. I want to ask all the members to stay positive and committed to this family, as we are planning for 2021 to be a great year. We are arranging seminars at a minimal fee, where scientific knowledge will be shared and for all to attend. The scientific committee is working hard on ideas for this year’s conference, which is most likely to be hosted virtually. It will be our first online conference, and we will be sending out more information on this soon,” she commented. To learn more about Coschem’s social and educational events planned for this year, please send an email to bridget@coschem.co.za. •

HONOURING THE STUDENTS Unfortunately, this year’s Coschem students prize giving dinner was cancelled due to COVID-19. The society did however celebrate the efforts of the students enrolled in its cosmetic science training course and made special mention of the various award winners, during the online AGM. The recipients of the 2020 special awards are: • Top Module 1 is shared between

Michelle Nott and Serisha Naidoo

Charmaine Du Preez, 2021 president of Coschem

• Top Module 2 – the Jill Gardiner

Award 2020 – is shared between Yanishka Francis and Ronè Rudman

• Sensient Technologies Creativity

Award – Best Module 2 Project Presentation – went to Renè van der Westhuizen

• Norman Sanan Award for the

Best Mod 2 Project went to Marike Kotzè

• P&C Review/Coschem essay award

Johrinda van Rensburg

Lumbi Moyo

Andre Burger

Aeysha Jakoet

Nicola Barnard-Marais

Kudzai Gwazira

Beverley Gardner

COSCHEM COUNCIL 2021

Charis Lewis

went to Michelle Nott.

Renè van der Westhuizen

Sapphirah Phala

Coschem’s education officer, Kudzai Gwazira hands Michelle Nott her awards Jacques Strydom

Anina van der Walt

Wayne van Wyk

WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA // MARCH 2021

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time Take a breather

>>>

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LUXURIATE, PEACE, PICNIC, QUIETEN, RECESS,

RELAX, RELIEF, REPOSE, REPRIEVE, RESPITE,

REST, SABBATICAL, SERENITY, SETTLE DOWN,

SIESTA, SIMMER DOWN, SIT BACK, SLACKEN,

SLEEP, SLUMBER, TAKE A BREAK, TAKE IT EASY,

TIME OFF, TIME OUT, UNCOIL, UNWIND, VACATION.

contact

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Carla Melless

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+27 (0)82 976 6541

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Càndida Giambò-Kruger Sales executive

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MARCH 2021 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA

ONLINE

INDUSTRY WEB REVIEW ESSENTIAL SPECIALISED PRODUCTS

COSCHEM

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Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review March 2021

Articles inside

Coschem thrives through digital connections

Great labels provide a winning formula for good hair care

Solutions to protect pharmaceutical packaging

Capture the desert chill vibe to fight ‘anxi-aging’

Overcome moisture challenges with starch-based excipients

The sweet choice for vitamin D supplements

SA’s leading pharma contract manufacturer implements new systems

New scent collections capture the essence of today’s trends

Transportive scents and fragrance trends inspired by the Mediterranean