Local Nottingham printer, Chesapeake Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Packaging has helped develop packaging for GSK’s global launch of its new Sensodyne Repair & Protect oral care product. The novel cartons feature 3-D features intended to simulate a life-like model of a tooth as well as close-up images that help to describe the benefits of using the product. The effect is achieved by the incorporation of a series of ‘Fresnel lenses’ into the carton-board, which demands absolute production precision. The lens area is then overprinted, which requires exacting print registration. The resulting life-like perspective produces the impression of depth which provides the pack with a tactile quality that is further enhanced by the carton’s bevelled edge.

An interesting product feature that certainly has a novelty appeal but I’m not sure how effective the 3D-effect will be in educating and informing consumers. An improvement to this could be via use of 2D data matrix barcode to take consumers to a GSK website that then provides more in-depth information and videos. What do you think?

Source: PMPNews.com
Read more about leading-edge technologies that could add value for consumers by following this link to our Technology Folder

Chris Penfold

There are an ever-increasing number of ‘medical device’ products coming to market or existing products changing their classification to ‘medical device’ to give greater flexibility in the market. The boundary between Medical Devices and packaging is becoming ever-more blurred as the followng areas converge: smartphone technology, materials technology, internet capabilities & bandwidth, Wi-Fi and Near Field Communications (NFC). This is particularly evident in the area of patient compliance (adherence) and to a lesser extent, also in the areas of anti-counterfeiting and Track & Trace.

The route to CE marking depends on the risk classification of your device and also on how many you manufacture. The development of a device is heavily regulated and various criteria need to have been checked and decisions/design routes justified and recorded.

The Manufacturers or their authorised representative must follow one of several routes in order to CE mark their devices and legally sell or distribute them on the European market.
The Brand owner for the device will also have some of the responsibilities of the manufacturer.

The Team at Design Cognition have been involved in many successful device developments and understand what is required to develop a device/product that will meet the stringent criteria laid down by the various authorities. We can provide support for your project from concept through development, authorisation and commercialisation or even for the reviews. We are here to help, so give us a call!

Chris Penfold

Our Injection Moulding and Tooling course has been filling up fast and places are now very limited.  To avoid the disappointment of missing out on this great offer, don’t delay, contact us today.

To find out more information about this great course just click Injection Moulding and Tooling Course or to register click Register for Injection Moulding and Tooling Course 

Alternatively just give us a call +44(0) 115841914

Look forward to seeing you there.

Jane

If you are involved in the design or development of injection moulded thermoplastic parts, whether packaging, delivery systems or devices, and want to save huge amounts of time, money & hassle, this 1 day course is for you – especially if you would like to be able to:

- Understand the key terms and phrases associated with injection moulding machines, the process and a basic multi cavity hot runner mould tool configuration.

- Have the knowledge and confidence to interact on an even level with suppliers when specifying, sourcing and managing a plastics moulding, tooling project through to final acceptance.

- Recognise common moulding faults and implement a course of remedial action quickly.

- Create a bespoke mould tool specification documents for your own components. This will enable you to not only understand your current suppliers documentation, but also compare alternative suppliers on a like-for-like basis.

There is an EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT, but HURRY, the discount ends Friday 24th December 2010.

To find out more, check out: Packaging Training Courses – More Information

or email Training@DesignCognition.Com

Alternatively just give us a call on +44 (0) 115 8461914

Look forward to seeing you there!

On November 3, ANVISA posted a Normative Instruction to the Daily Journal (Brazil’s equivalent to the United States’s Federal Register) detailing its decision to move forward with the self-adhesive security labels supplied by the Brazilian Mint (known by its Portuguese initials: CMB-Casa da Moeda). According to Schmitt’s translation, ANVISA states in the Instruction that “the self-adhesive labels shall contain an individual, unique, and non-repetitive identifier, called the IUM (Brazilian Initials for Unique Drug Identifier), printed in legible characters, and consisting of a two dimensional bar code. . . . The other specifications of self-adhesive labels are the responsibility of the Mint of Brazil and will be published by that entity.”

The self-adhesive labels, often called “Safety Labels” or “Stamps” by ANVISA, “will be supplied by the CMB to each company with drug registration in Brazil, regularized with ANVISA.”

The labels will feature an “invisible marker” for authentication that can only be recognized by the special readers. Measuring 19 × 25 mm, the labels will feature “micro fibers and coloured beads visible only under ultraviolet light” along with “micro cuttings to protect against attempted tampering,” Schmitt reports.

Over the next seven months, ANVISA will be supplying readers to pharmacies at no cost to them, which will enable them to authenticate the labels.

“Data from the security labels will be connected via the IUM and Brazil’s Electronic Invoice system and will be the responsibility of the Treasury Secretary of Brazil,” Schmitt explains.

“Pharmaceutical companies have 60 days to enroll in the program (not to implement) by signing a contract with the CMB,” Schmitt adds. “Shipment of the labels to the pharmaceutical company must begin within 60 days after the contract has been signed.”

Companies will have six months to start using the label for products produced in Brazil and 12 months for products imported into Brazil, Schmitt reports. After January 15, 2012, all pharmaceutical products sold in Brazil are required to have the safety label on their packaging.

Watch this space for further updates. You can read other pharmaceutical & healthcare-based packaging articles by following this link to Design Cognition Pharmaceutical Posts

Or follow this one to read the full Brazilian serialisation PMPNews article

Chris  Penfold

We are running a 1 day Pharmaceutical Packaging training course (Introductory level), which should be of interest to some of you.

By following the link below you will be able to download a PDF ’flyer’ & Registration form.

NB Anyone interested needs to be quick because we only have a couple of places remaining.

Do you work in the pharmaceutical industry on the ‘periphery’ of packaging, working for example in Production, Marketing, Purchasing, Design or QA etc , and need to find out more about packaging, but without having to attend a lengthy 3 day training course? Or perhaps you are a Packaging Technologist new to the area and want to gain a better understanding of pharma issues and opportunities?

If so, then this ONE DAY TRAINING COURSE could be for you! 

It’s being held on 14th October 2010 at Biocity Nottingham, UK

Find out more here:   Pharmaceutical Packaging Training Information

Every day millions of patients fail to take their medications as prescribed by their doctor. Medication non-adherence is a problem that disrupts the healthcare system in many ways, leading to patients failing to receive full treatment benefit. Non-adherence can lead to hospitalisation and even death.

The root of this problem is human behaviour. Even though we are “creatures of habit”, we often lose momentum when taking medications, or do not always understand or appreciate the benefits. Subsequently, patients often tell an ‘untruth’ to mask the fact and avoid embarrassment, whether non-compliance was accidental or planned.

Just follow the link to read the full article on ‘How Can Intelligent Packaging Best Aid Patient Compliance?’

The US-based Digimarc Corporation has recently been working very closely with New Jersey-based Catalent Pharma Solutions, a leading provider of innovative packaging solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and consumer healthcare industries to take interactive pharmaceutical packaging to the ‘next level’. It has licensed its mobile visual search software that, together with it’s leading-edge Chroma watermark printing technology, will allow Catalent to deliver new Media Enhanced Packaging solutions to its clients worldwide that will instantly connect consumers to a range of network services from printed packaging, inserts, and labels using smart phones and other digital devices.

Digimarc’s mobile software enables the phone’s camera to “see” digital data that has been embedded into all forms of printed materials, including advertisements, editorial content, brochures, posters, product packaging, labels and more. Unlike 2D barcodes or QR codes, the digital codes do not take up precious space on packages, and they are imperceptible to human senses, but can easily be detected by computers, networks, and today’s most popular smart phones. So they not only open up all sorts of possibilities for more advanced covert counterfeiting measures to be taken, but also for additional patient and Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) information, advice and interaction.

You can read a more information at www.digimarc.com and www.catalent.com

We are really passionate about helping our clients identify and implement new and exciting technologies so why not give us a call now and see how we can help you – +44(0)115 8461914

You can find other related Design Cognition articles on ‘Intelligent’ packaging & technology here:

Design Cognition Technology Insights & News

Chris Penfold

Are you new to packaging or working on the edge of the packaging arena and you’d like to know more about the basics of packaging? But can’t afford huge amounts of time away from the office to attend a full in-depth course? If so then this course may be for you. It will give you a broad overview in a condensed format that will help you gain a better appreciation of all of the relevant issues to enable you to do your job better.

For more information on this or other training courses we are running please visit Design Cognition Training

Do you work in the pharmaceutical industry on the ‘periphery’ of packaging, working for example in Marketing, Purchasing, Design or QA etc , and have always wanted to find out more about packaging, but without having to attend a lengthy 3 day training course? Or perhaps you are a Packaging Technologist working on toiletries or cosmetics and want to gain a better understanding pharma issues and opportunities?

If so, then this ONE DAY TRAINING COURSE could be for you!

It’s being held on 14th October 2010 in Nottingham, UK

Pharmaceutical packaging is a very specialised area with its own unique issues & problems. This one day course will provide delegates with a good basic grounding & appreciation of what is required for the packaging of pharmaceutical & healthcare products. Whether you know nothing, have a basic understanding or are familiar with the area, this course will provide you with useful knowledge and insights from experts who have each worked in the industry for over 25 years.

What will be covered:

1.Packaging component & material selection Key product requirements (Consumer, Barrier, Shelf Life & Regulatory – Child resistance, Tamper evidence, Dosing & Stability. Marketing expectations.

2. Key properties of various materials / systems Main barriers & benefits of various packaging materials, Key drivers for pack performance, Supply chain implications on the packs

3. Pack testing & evaluation Mandatory requirements for Consumer testing & Transit testing.

4. Packaging component specifications Key requirements for a specification, Control of the documents.

5. Artwork generation & control Establishing processes suitable to your business needs – Wording & Templates, Creation, Version control & authorisation.

6.Regulatory requirements Packaging data for the MA , Braille, barcodes, Child Resistance, Tamper Evidence, Readability & others – including emerging requirements (e.g. 2D data matrix barcodes). Key packaging data for the MA/Dossier (Specifications & data, Supplier details). Key requirements for Braille etc.

7. Transit packaging Considerations of risk, Establishing test programmes, Specific requirements for palletisation etc.

8. Trade /supply chain requirements Understanding the various markets & their particular requirements, Understanding trade requirements (e.g. Barcodes, Shelf Ready Trays etc).

A full set of documentation will be provided.

You can find out more and register for this event by clicking: More information on Packaging of Pharmaceuticals – a One Day Introductory Course 14th October 2010

Chris Penfold