Dr Jérôme Freissmuth, Bosch Packaging Technology, analyses trends in pharmaceutical manufacturing and their impact on processing and packaging machinery and equipment.
In 2013, the pharmaceutical industry will continue to witness major changes and challenges. Rapid development of the emerging markets, progress in drug research, the rise in generics production, the availability of high-potency drugs and innovations in manufacturing processes will modify the global pharmaceutical landscape, placing new demands on processing, filling and packaging machinery and equipment. The development of new drug delivery devices, such as the optimisation of inhalers and insulin pens, increasingly focuses on patients’ individual needs, in particular with respect to convenience and ease of use.
To keep pace with these advances, engineering expertise is required to design equipment that can handle, package and secure such substances. Pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and antivirals must be manufactured and packaged with the utmost caution and attention to detail. With these requirements in mind there are five particular trends emerging in the field of pharmaceutical processing and packaging equipment, namely:
- a rising demand for pharmaceutical quality and safety through inspection technology
- the ability to handle potent substances
- adapting lines for small batch sizes and research purposes
- an increasing use of single-use components
- and the need to improve productivity by optimising manufacturing processes with respect to Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
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