NOTTINGHAM science companies will lead a delegation of UK firms pitching for business during one of the biggest events in the American pharmaceutical industry’s calendar.

Businesses from the city account for one-third of the firms in the English delegation attending a reception during the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) annual meeting in Los Angeles.

They will meet potential customers and investors next week at an event hosted on their behalf by the British Consul in LA, Dame Barbara Hey.

The Nottingham firms taking part in the 20-strong delegation are Critical Pharmaceuticals, Design Cognition, Food and Drug Analytical Services, Molecular Profiles, Pharmaceutical Development Services and R5 Pharmaceuticals.

The US pharmaceutical market is the biggest and most lucrative in the world, with companies bidding for work in a field where the biggest firms routinely outsource research, development and service work to smaller companies.

Some of the Nottingham firms will be going to link-up with existing contacts, while others, such as specialist packaging and product development firm Design Cognition, are first- timers. Chris Penfold, the company’s chief executive, said: “We are on a fact-finding mission, to learn as much as possible about the US market and assessing where and how we can add value for US pharmaceutical companies looking to export, through our understanding of packaging requirements and regulations of global markets.”

His company is working closely with Pharmaceutical Development Services, which already has an office in the US state of South Carolina, another industry hotspot.

“Making a move into the US requires a great deal of market as well as regulatory intelligence,” said managing director Michael Gamlen.

“Close working relationships and collaboration are key to success and our respective consultancy services dovetail perfectly to add potential value for US companies.”

To read the full article, click here: http://bit.ly/Ox0hr

Watch this space for further information as I will be following up with This is Business- East Midlands (Nottingam Evening Post) after the AAPS event.

Design Cognition, packaging consultants &  designers based in Nottingham, are proud to announce that Technical Director Anne Dallison has been awarded Fellowship of The Packaging Society, part of The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3).

Managing Director, Chris Penfold said “Having spent over 30 years working within the packaging industry, her award is justly deserved – she is one of only a handful of female Fellows in the country”. Well done Annie!

It is believed that the IOM3 assessors were particularly impressed with Annie’s extensive & in-depth experience, where she has played a proactive role in all of the companies in which she has worked, extolling the importance of packaging for the success of brands and products.

Annie has also taken great interest in the changes and the impact of the ever growing demands of legislative and regulatory requirements affecting the Packaging Industry, where she has worked hard to minimise the impact of these requirements for Brand image and product appearance, whilst at the same time developing robust processes for the application of the changes when necessary.

For many years Annie has been an active member of Institute of Packaging Pharmaceutical Forum (cross-company common interest group) whom she represents on the European CEN Braille Forum. Over the years Annie has been integral in receiving a number of Star Pack and World Star awards for packaging as well as European and global patents.

Her passion extends to developing young people into the industry, taking great pleasure in teaching, coaching and mentoring them.  Many people that she has trained have developed into some of the best Packaging Technologists in the industry.

Affiliated to this, Annie has also taken an active role working with local schools, providing an introductions to Packaging and with design students from local universities, either as their manager during their industrial placements or as sponsor/mentor for their final year projects.

Following on from this, Chris Penfold, also a Committee member of The Packaging Society, East Midlands Branch said “We are also keen to bring younger blood into the Fellowship and generate a stronger female representation.”

If you believe that you have the necessary qualities and wish to find put more, please contact Julie Bowers at IOM3: julie.bowers@iom3.org       Tel: +44 (0)1782 221709

Chris Penfold 24th September 2009

By Rory Harrington, 28-Jul-2009   www.foodproductiondaily.com

Combining recycling streams of polyethylene terephthalate PET and polylactic acid PLA containers could place the future of both in jeopardy, a leading trade body has cautioned.

The National Association for PET Container Resources NAPCOR has rejected the premise of recycling both materials in tandem over concerns of separation costs, increased contamination and yield loss. The group also warned about the impact any such move would have on recycled PET quality and processing.

via NAPCOR rejects joint recycling of PET and PLA.

We are pleased to announce that Anne Dallison, Technical Director of Design Cognition, has just been elected as Fellow of the Institute of Packaging, The Packaging Society – part of IOM3 (The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, enabling her to use the letters ‘F.Inst.Pkg’ after her name.

This is a fantastic achievement for Annie, who has worked in the packaging industry for over 25 years, in a number of packaging-related roles. Over the years she has played a proactive role in all of the companies for whom she has worked, extolling the importance of packaging for the success of brands and products. She has also taken a special interest in the changes and impact of the ever-growing demands of legislative and regulatory requirements affecting the Packaging Industry. Her work to minimise the impact of these requirements for the brand image and product appearance has been tireless, whilst at the same time developing robust processes for the application of the changes when necessary.

For many years she has been an active member of Institute of Packaging Pharmaceutical Forum (cross-company common interest group) and is representing this group on the BSI and also European CEN Braille Forum.  She is also a member of the Pharmaceutical Quality Forum and is involved in the working group for “the development of PS 9000 Pharmaceutical Packaging Materials”.

On top of all of this, on a number of occasions, she has received Star Pack and World Star awards for packaging that she has developed along with European and global patents.

Well done Annie – keep up the good work!