On Feb. 13-14, 2013, the healthcare industry's major players will convene at the 12th edition of Pharmapack Europe at Grande Halle de la Villette (Paris). More than 3,000 visitors from four continents and more than 290 international companies will take part in this major event dedicated to technological innovation in health product packaging and drug delivery systems.
Pharmapack Europe is an essential platform for business, networking and technology watch for industrial and institutional participants in the healthcare industry, offering visitors a rich program, with more than 40 semi-scientific conference presentations and a series of four technical workshops on topical issues.
The central theme for this 2013 edition will be the role of patients as a driving force for innovation in health product packaging and drug delivery systems. This issue reflects recent developments in the way we approach the research of a drug to fight a disease.
"It is true that during the 20th century, many discoveries enabled us to treat previously incurable diseases. However, now we have realised, particularly as a result of many studies, that drugs do not do everything, and that adhering to the prescription in terms of its quantity and duration is the key to recovery. Consequently, it is necessary for the pharmaceutical industry to understand how patients use their drugs, in order to refine the solutions offered," says David Dronneau, innovation and technology head in R&D clinical supplies at Sanofi.
During the conference, a large number of international experts will offer updates on the various avenues currently being explored to create innovative solutions improving both patient compliance with treatments and also patient and healthcare staff safety.
"Adaptation of the solution to the patient's profile is therefore fundamental and the challenge today is to value the contribution of personalised packaging not as an additional cost, but as an added value for the patient," emphasises David Dronneau, who will co-chair the session entitled "Patient safety and compliance packaging." The objective of this session will be to present a new outlook towards patient safety and compliance, as well as new approaches reconciling these two notions, to reduce the barriers between patients and treatment. This session's speakers will present the latest developments, including changes in regulatory requirements.
"The pharma industry needs to think about the complete patient experience, from the device to the packaging and instructions for use, and other peripheral services and products like mobile apps and online communities. During Pharmapack we'll be sharing some concepts for novel packaging solutions, which could improve usability, reduce anxiety and even generate positive emotional responses," says Andy Fry, founder of Team Consulting Ltd. This expert in delivery device design will moderate the session on "Innovation in parenteral administration and packaging process." This session will offer a comprehensive overview of trends in the area of parenterals and the latest technologies enabling the optimization of manufacturing processes and reduction of costs.
The session entitled "Innovation for pulmonary, nasal and ophthalmic drug delivery" will deal in particular with progress and prospects for development of the market in DPIs, new desiccants for the preservation of formulas, trends in preservative-free drugs and new delivery devices for this type of product.
"Targeted drug delivery via convergent technologies" will be the focus of a session that will review the latest progress in medical nanotechnology enabling the development of targeted anti-cancer treatments. Visitors will be able to find out about a new silicon micropump for intratumour injection of the main active components in the treatment of cancers of the brain and other types of cancer.
The session on "Sustainable Packaging and Materials" will provide the occasion to discover new ecological and economic solutions in relation to both the materials and the production processes of packaging, printing and labeling. This session will include a talk by Nolle Guillerault, deputy director of Adelphe, and David Daroux, president of the Eco-Design group at LEEM (the French association of pharmaceutical companies), who together will present an outline of the guide entitled "Eco-conception des emballages, comment aller plus loin?" ("Eco-design of packaging, how to go further?"), co-published by Leem and Adelphe.
"When a company opts for eco-design, it chooses to reduce its impact and save resources. Today, this message is being taken on board by companies in the industry, and many are now fully persuaded of the importance of ‘thinking eco-design' at the design stage for new packaging. The guide that we are publishing this year encourages companies to move from awareness to taking action. How to get started on an eco-design project? What are the primary considerations? How to measure the benefits?" explains Nolle Guillerault, adding that: "Pharmapack is an excellent opportunity to showcase the partnership in place between pharmaceutical companies and Adelphe to promote eco-design and improve recycling rates for packaging."
Technical workshops on current issues
Taking place for the first time at Pharmapack Europe, a series of workshops will complement the conference programme. They will be led by eminent experts and will enable participants to look in detail at technical issues relating to the validation of tertiary isothermal packaging for transporting drugs; Track & Trace solutions and the implementation of serialisation; sterilisation of medical packaging and the process of validation; and the challenges involved in the approval of innovative combination products within the European Union and the United States.
Industrial attendees will be able to look at their issues from a practical perspective and benefit from the case studies presented to gather precious information about which solutions and approaches to implement.
"Today, the number and volume of health products requiring a cold chain between +2 deg C and +8 deg C is growing rapidly. At the same time, due to the globalization of production sites, the distances between where products are manufactured and where they are used is increasing and the distribution circuits are becoming more complex. Isothermal packaging is one of the solutions available for fulfilling regulatory requirements relating to the conservation of these products. However, there is no single solution," explains Vincent Boudy, PharmD, Ph.D., hospital practitioner at AGEPS-APHP and associate professor at Paris Descartes University.
He will lead the workshop on "Drugs and isothermal packaging: is it better to travel alone or in bad company?" with Gérald Cavalier, CEO of Cemafroid, who emphasises that "this workshop's concern will be to present the possibilities offered by isothermal packaging, as well as to inform and caution about the limits encountered in their use. It will act as a meeting point for suppliers, users and representatives of certification bodies, who will be able to exchange viewpoints about important issues such as the definition of needs and the validation and certification of these isothermal solutions."
Similarly, the workshop entitled "Innovative Combination Products: Challenges and Approval (European Union, United States)" will act as a forum for discussions between manufacturers of drugs, biological products and medical devices, and representatives of notified bodies. "The objective of this highly interactive workshop is to enable us to approach specific issues connected with the choice of status of combined products, which is key to the development strategy, or the choice of molecule to associate with the device, as well as to enable industrial participants to share their experiences and look at solutions that have been implemented," says Marielle Fournier, director of Combination and Borderline Products at Voisin Consulting Life Sciences.
A thorough, friendly and international technological showcase
The 2013 edition of Pharmapack Europe will bring together even more exhibitors than in 2012, with around 290 SMEs and multinationals specialising in health product packaging and drug delivery systems. More than 80 companies will be taking part in the exhibition for the first time. Alongside the regular presence of major players operating at a global level, the exhibition welcomes a growing number of companies from the four corners of the world. In fact, this year, the majority of exhibitors, 60 percent of the companies to be precise, are from countries other than the host country. A total of 27 countries will be present, including India, Finland and Tunisia, all of which will be represented for the first time.
While it is true that the number of exhibitors is growing continually, year by year, the exhibition maintains its high quality standards. These standards allow it to offer its visitors an increasingly rich technological showcase, with expert suppliers and a wide range of skills available at a global level, covering the entire supply chain for health product packaging and drug delivery systems.
Pharmapack Awards 2013
One of the event's most eagerly anticipated moments is Pharmapack Awards 2013, which will honour new drugs, medical devices, health products and veterinary drugs that went on the market between November 2011 and December 2012. This ceremony will close the first day of the exhibition, giving participants the chance to continue their discussions in a relaxed mood.
Pharmapack Europe on your smartphone!
For this edition, Pharmapack Europe is launching its own mobile app. This tool will be made available to participants for free so that they can prepare effectively for their visit to the event. Visitors will be able to:
Find out about the conference sessions and speakers;
Access the up-to-date exhibitor list with exhibitor information;
Get their bearings and locate exhibitors that interest them with the floorplan;
Collect and exchange virtual business cards by using QR codes or their phone camera...and much more!
