I found the following article via a LinkedIn packaging group and it gives an interesting overview of size, trends, obstacles, opportunities and predictions pharma packaging industry. Have a read of the full article and let us know what you think. Chris

According to a survey conducted by Pharmaceutical Technology Europe (PTE), almost 50% of you believe that cost is the biggest limiting factor to innovation in the pharmaceutical packaging industry, while regulations were also thought to present a major hurdle to new development, accounting for almost two-thirds of the remaining votes.¹ The pharmaceutical industry recognizes the importance of good packaging design, in particular because of the continuing pressure to aid patient compliance, meet regulatory demands, and increase a brand’s life and appeal; however, manufacturers must also innovate while improving efficiency and adapting to the growing threat of drug counterfeiting.

You can read the full article here (but may need a LinkedIn account):

http://fb.me/3mDlBhX

Via LinkedIn link to Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, Volume 21, Issue 11 Nov 1, 2009
Article by: Fedra Pavlou, Stephanie Sutton, Corrine Lawrence

You may recall that we recently went on a UKTI Trade mission trip to Los Angeles to better understand the potential of the US market. Hardly a ‘normal’ week for us, but we managed to capture events as we went along and here is our summary of a fantastic adventure that worked out really well for us and certainly raised our profile! Anyone that would like a job – ‘please apply within’ Chris

My Week: Chris Penfold, of Design Cognition

Published – Tuesday, November 24, 2009, from www.thisisbusiness-eastmidlands.co.uk/

Friday: Our company, Design Cognition, provides packing development and consultancy services to the pharmaceutical industry.

We have been thinking about exporting our skills and services to the US, which represents 40% of the global healthcare market, so a trade mission to the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists convention in Los Angeles seems an ideal route in.

Through UKTI, we manage to secure a free Club Class flight with BA – sadly only one. I fly ‘cattle class’ whilst our chief technical officer Annie Dallison enjoys the Club lounge, Champagne reception and a top-of-the-range bed. I sit with my bag of crisps, a bottle of water and a good book.

Arriving at Los Angeles airport we are greeted by a friendly character who directs us to the hotel shuttle bus and then announces that he is a volunteer collecting for the destitute and homeless of LA. We give him a small donation.

As we enter LA, the problem facing President Obama becomes ever more apparent as we see a number of homeless sleeping rough by the roadside. It’s obvious why donations for the destitute are needed. We certainly take our NHS service for granted. Despite its many faults, we can expect a certain level of care from a system which is the envy of the world.

Saturday: Our hotel is actually a ‘motel’ with a few extras such as a pond for a swimming pool. I get the Jacuzzi in my room and Annie doesn’t, so I feel slightly vindicated after the flight arrangements.

Sunday: After breakfast we catch up with George Canty of the East Midlands Healthcare and Bioscience iNet, who is representing UKTI. He will be helping us to meet potential customers, suppliers and partners and to discuss funding with investors.

We decide to spend today on the Pacific coast at Santa Monica and Venice Beach where tea and cake at the Tudor tea rooms includes a choice of any tea from around the world, including Typhoo and PG Tips.

The afternoon is spent at the LA Convention Centre where we set up the stand for the show.

The trade mission has involved a number of our BioCity Nottingham sister companies including Pharmaceutical Development Services and Food & Drink Analytical Services. We will be sharing stand facilities for the next few days.

This evening UKTI holds a networking meeting at the ‘Scottish Pub’ so we get to know the UKTI representatives in the US.

The team get to meet The British Consul General, Dame Barbara Hay

Monday: Still ‘Sleepless in LA’ with a 4.30am awakening. I’m finding difficulty adjusting to the eight hour time difference, so I use my time productively to catch up on emails and to press my crumpled suit.

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists’ exhibition doesn’t start until 12.30. It is momentarily disrupted by animal rights protestors so security levels are high. The event gets off to a good start and we have a steady stream of visitors to our stand.

The purpose for our being here is to learn as much as possible about the US market and to assess how we might help US pharmaceutical companies to better understand European pharmaceutical packaging requirements and regulations.

Tuesday: A full day at the show is followed by an evening reception hosted by UKTI and the British Consul General, Dame Barbara Hay.

We are on the 54th floor of the Wells Fargo building with fabulous panoramic views of illuminated LA. Today is my 50th birthday so it is great to celebrate in style.

In a quieter moment we get to meet Samuel L Jackson

Wednesday

I manage to sleep in until 5am as my body continues to adjust. The third day and climax of the show is slower but we attract some potential leads.

Thursday

We leave for England today and everything seems to be going according to plan.

Annie makes the most of being amongst the privileged in the Club Class environment whilst I have another sandwich. Our expectations for this trip had been modest and we hadn’t expected to come back with a ‘shed full’ of orders, but we both agree that the trip has been invaluable.

You can read the ‘This is Business’ article here: LA Article

I was amazed to hear that the ‘Max Factor‘ brand has been ‘pulled’ from the US market by Proctor & Gamble. How can that be for such a prominent brand? Are US females cutting back and going around without their ’slap’ on? or is it just that the market is so competitive in the US?….at least the brand is still available in other markets! However, there are some encouraging  ‘green shoot’ signs showing in the US (moreso than the UK in many respects) – so let’s hope that the trend continues and migrtaes across the ‘pond’! Chris

Via www.cosmeticsdesign.com 19 Nov 2009

An upturn in the US consumer products industry is likely to benefit the personal care sector as 2009 draws to an end, indicating a much stronger year ahead. Latest US GDP figures show a growth rate of 3.5 percent for the third quarter, a figure that is likely to translate into the creation of more jobs and ultimately improved consumer confidence.

The year 2009 has been make or break for many players in the industry, spelling the end of the road in the US for players such as Crabtree & Evelyn and brands such as Max Factor and Prescriptives (owned by Estee Lauder) .

However, Kline & Company industry analyst Carrie Mellage, believes that the worst could now be over for the personal care industry and that looking ahead some of the key growth areas for potential are about to get even more interesting.

You can read the full article here: Personal care market set for strong recovery in 2010.

The internet is ‘afrenzy’ at the moment with stories relating to a possible sale or merger of Reckitt Benckiser. We’ve picked it up here from a couple of sources which contradict each other slightly, but this is not surprising and is normal in any takeover/merger rumour situatuion. SSL International and Colgate-Palmolive are both ‘in the frame’ (allegedly), but it’s not clear who’s buying whom or what (guess that they could also be considering buying & selling business divisons or brands). We will let you read them and make up your own mind. Chris

Rumours fly over sale or merger of Reckitt Benckiser

Simon Pitman, Cosmetics Design-Europe.com 19 Nov 2009

Talk of a multi-billion euro transaction involving Reckitt Benckiser, a global brand owner of personal care and household products, has sent share prices rocketing.

The UK company has been linked to big names such as SSL International, owner of the Durex brand, but according to well-placed sources used by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, the most obvious candidate is US consumer giant Colgate-Palmolive.

The report stated that Reckitt Benckiser was close to making a cross-border transaction that would probably be structured as a merger if it were to take place with a business such as Colgate-Palmolive.

Such a deal would also tie in with the company’s desire to no longer be headquartered in the UK, due to the unfavourable tax situation and economy.

You can read the full Cosmetics Design-Europe article here: http://bit.ly/4B2Uxx

The story has also been covered in the  British press (amongst other places). In yesterday’s UK  Daily Telegraph, they carried the following:

Talk of Reckitt doing a big deal

Ben Harrington, www.telegraph.co.uk, 18 Nov 2009

The latest tale is that Reckitt Benckiser is close to announcing multi-billion pound cross-border transaction.

It is not clear which company Reckitt is targeting. SSL International, the maker of Scholl footwear products and Durex condoms, has always been tipped as a target for Reckitt. However, well-placed sources think the most obvious candidate is US giant Colgate-Palmolive.

The theory is that any deal between Reckitt and Colgate-Palmolive would have to be structured as a merger as they are roughly the same size.

Earlier this year, David Hayes and Alex Smith – the Nomura analysts who first raised the prospect of a Kraft bid for Cadbury – argued that Colgate-Palmolive could merge with a British company. However, they thought it more likely that Unilever would be the US company’s obvious merger partner.

You can read more of the Daily Telegraph report here: http://bit.ly/2GcdEy

This has been reported previously in the press. See related article ‘Reckitt Benckiser considers quitting Britain over tax‘ published in the UK Daily Telegraph 13th Aug 2009.

Whatever, your thoughts, it’s an interesting story that has wide ramifications and we’ll keep you posted as and when updates are available. Chris

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 are pleased to announce the launch of two new websites that will better meet the evolving needs of our pharmaceutical clients and the wider community in the areas of healthcare packaging design, news & compliance.

FIRSTLY, if you are involved in any way with pharmaceutical packaging design, development or managing pack change, our new healthcare-related blog site www.healthcarepackaging-pulse.com will provide you with a daily snapshot of current news & views from the world of pharmaceutical packaging & affiliated areas – from Rx through OTC, Medical Devices and GSL. Learn from the industry ‘best-in class’.

It will cover creative topics such as design, innovation, and technology,through commercial issues such as cost-optimisation and supply chain performance to regulatory and legislative change affecting the industry.

You can follow these healthcare blogs on Twitter at http://twitter.com/healthcare_pack

We hope that you enjoy them and if you are going to AAPS in Los Angeles, November 9th-12th, why not come & visit us at ‘Booth 1962′ to discuss these in more detail? See you there!

Chris Penfold

Published By James Quinn, Daily Telegraph, 26 Oct 2009

Save for the economy, in the first year of Barack Obama’s presidency the issue he has spent the most time on has also been the most contentious – the future of healthcare.

As he tries to right the failings of several of his predecessors, the US president’s push to increase healthcare provision for the 20pc of Americans without health insurance – at the same time as not overly increasing the burden on taxpayers – is a difficult task.

With the US budget deficit at $1.42 trillion, the $829m (£506m), ten-year cost of the Senate finance committee’s bill – the main one of five pieces of legislation President Obama is to attempt to meld together in the coming weeks – may just be too much to bear.
Whatever the outcome, however, it is clear that the $2.3 trillion-a-year US healthcare industry offers significant opportunities to make money.

For British companies, the sheer breadth of the market – with its regionalised approach and the power of private medical insurance companies – might be unnerving, but in fact offers clear advantages, as Nottingham, UK  based Design Cognition hope to capitalise on over the coming weeks as part of a UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) “mission” to the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) in November.

If you are a company that want to launch your pharma products into new markets but are confused by packaging requirements & regulations, find out more about how Design Cognition can help at www.thepharmagateway.com

Design Cognition is also looking for individuals /companies that can provide collaborative support ‘on the ground’ in the US to help facilitate entry into the US pharma market. For further details contact Chris Penfold, Chief Executive.

You can read the full Daily Telegraph article here: http://tinyurl.com/yg2pkoc

Chinese funding to cut specialist food packaging imports – worrying trend?

By Rory Harrington,

A Chinese packaging company said it is to receive multi-million dollar government funding to expand its operations and reduce domestic reliance on specialist packing imports.

Shiner International announced this week that the development of its Packaging Industrial Park project in Hainan will be part-funded by a government grant of RMB 29m ($4.26m).

Domestic boost

The company, which specialises in food safe and anti-counterfeiting packaging, said the cash will be used in the construction of a new facility. The Chinese Government gave the green light to the funding because the plant will help domestic food manufacturers reduce their reliance on having to buy specialist film packing applications from overseas, said the company.

Shiner CEO Jian Fu said: “For quite some time, the Chinese domestic market has relied on the importing of high quality packaging films for high-end consumer products at great expense to Chinese manufacturers. In recent years, the central government has begun to realise the importance of domestically developed key technology products that utilise intellectual property that is developed and owned by Chinese companies such as Shiner.”

Funding for its packaging project will allow the Chinese outfit to make its patented products in a state-of-the-art facility, he added. The money will be used for construction of infrastructures, improvement of capacity and recruitment of senior technical staff for the project.

via Chinese funding to cut specialist food packaging imports.

Really interesting article, nice to see that the UK have been named number 1 for something so positive. (Jane)

For decades European countries have been among the most innovative on the planet when it comes to drug development. Scientists at stellar academic centers like the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Oxford/Cambridge university axis in the UK have produced some of the best thinking on new drugs the industry has seen. And clusters of developers in Switzerland, the UK and places like the Medicon Valley in northern Denmark and southern Sweden have spawned their share of start-ups. Germany has seen a whole generation of biotech companies launched with public assistance from the BioRegions it began to establish more than a decade ago.

via European Biotechnology, European Biotech – FierceBiotech.

Kraft Foods is investing EUR 15m in a new European biscuit development facility in France.

via Kraft invests EUR 15m in biscuit brand development | packagingnews.co.uk.

Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 08 October 2009