Articles

A Business Case for Isolation Technology

Every sterile facility is unique, but a recent Jacobs study suggests that advanced isolation technology pays dividends in the long run.
Post Date: 01/11/2010
Author:

Putting Particulates on the Map

Contamination mapping isn’t exactly cartography, but it can be an effective troubleshooting tool.
Post Date: 01/06/2010
Author: Paul Thomas, Senior Editor

Pharma Facilities: Can One Patent Agility?

A facility design under development for a decade is now gaining appreciation.
Post Date: 12/07/2009
Author: Agnes Shanley, Editor in Chief

Novavax’s Robinson: Taking Vaccines to the World

Next Fall, Novavax expects to move to Phase III testing of its seasonal flu vaccine. In the meantime, it’s refining a manufacturing process that uses disposable process equipment to minimize risk, cost and plant footprint. VP Jim Robinson discusses the company’s plans.
Post Date: 12/02/2009
Author: Agnes Shanley, Editor in Chief

Flexible Pharma: Puzzling Out the Plant of the Future

The need to improve agility and reduce financial risk is driving new approaches to plant design and operation, and the use of new technologies. Industry experts look at the future pharmaceutical plant from all angles.
Post Date: 11/30/2009
Author: Agnes Shanley, Editor in Chief, with Paul Thomas, Senior Editor

Automation Fair 2009: Implementing OEE at Teva Parenteral Medicines

A discussion with Duane Hiveley, who led the implementation of an overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) system at Teva.
Post Date: 11/25/2009
Author:

Pharma’s Green Evolution

Big Pharma has gone green, but smaller manufacturers have yet to flip the switch, say industry experts and our own survey.
Post Date: 10/15/2009
Author: Paul Thomas, Senior Editor

Will iPhones Enter the Factory?

They’re everywhere else, so why not?
Post Date: 09/29/2009
Author: Paul Thomas, Senior Editor

Picking Green Fruit at Pfizer

Pfizer is recognized as a clear leader in environmental stewardship. We talk with Chaz Calitri, senior director of Pfizer Global Engineering, about low-hanging fruit in energy management and what’s yet to be reached.
Post Date: 09/29/2009
Author:

Not-So-Trivial Cleanroom Pursuits

A look at clothing and equipment that are advancing the art of keeping operators safe and cleanrooms contaminant-free.
Post Date: 09/28/2009
Author: Paul Thomas, Senior Editor

Alarms: Behind the Red Screen

When operators fail to follow or actively dismantle “Andon” devices it’s usually a sign of serious systemic problems. Here’s how to prevent them from resulting in recalls or worse
Post Date: 08/31/2009
Author: C. Martin Hinckley, Assured Quality, Inc.

State Programs Take Aim at Training

A number of states are funding enhanced biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce training. Programs designed for displaced workers and students are taking shape.
Post Date: 07/30/2009
Author: Agnes Shanley, Editor in Chief

Great Expectations, Wrong Parameters

By failing to assess what is truly critical to safety, revised steam quality requirements fly in the face of common sense and a generation of sterilization science.
Post Date: 06/02/2009
Author: James Agalloco, Agalloco & Associates

Scoring Biotech Innovation (and Keeping Your Career Options Open)

The U.S. may still lead, but it can’t rule in every aspect of the industry, says author and blogger Yali Friedman, who also touched on career and workforce issues at BIO 2009
Post Date: 05/22/2009
Author: Agnes Shanley, Editor in Chief

Interphex Stands Test of Time (and Economy)

Despite a tough economy, few question the value of attending Interphex, and this year’s show promises to be as good as ever.
Post Date: 02/05/2009
Author: Paul Thomas, Senior Editor

Wyeth’s Pearl River Has Star Power

Wyeth Earns (Another) OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star
Post Date: 08/06/2008
Author: Paul Thomas, Senior Editor

Design Simulation for Warehouse Temperature Control

Airflow simulation can ensure tight temperature control for key drugs, before the storage space is built
Post Date: 07/23/2008
Author: Flomerics, Inc.

Therapeutic Dose: Conservation of Natural Resources

Like open-pit mining, too great a focus on reduced labor costs leaves toxic tailings.
Post Date: 05/19/2008
Author: Emil W. Ciurczak, Contributing Editor

From the Editor: The Right Stuff

As it develops its quality systems and risk management strategies, pharma can learn a lot from military aviation
Post Date: 05/15/2008
Author: Agnes Shanley, Editor in Chief

Management of Change: Every Plant for Itself!

In the absence of FDA guidance, each company or facility must develop its own approaches to change management. Fortunately, OSHA offers a model.
Post Date: 04/16/2008
Author: John Rohrer, JPS and The Interlock Group