A year after adulterated heparin caused deaths in the United States and Europe, inspectors in California were still finding contaminated product in hospitals throughout the state, even though the manufacturer had sent out multiple recall notices, and the issue with the product was well known. As the pharmaceutical industry responds to regulatory mandates to address such weakness in the supply chain, it's important to ask, "Could this same thing happen in a 'serialized' world?"
Flash Europe International S.A., a specialist in expedited freight transportation, has acquired Roberts Europe, a longtime logistics provider based at Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands.
Kuehne + Nagel, the global provider of logistics services, has announced plans for a larger logistics center in Atlanta, Ga. With 211,000 square feet of space, the site will double Kuehne + Nagel's existing operation in the Atlanta area.
Briggs Healthcare develops and markets products that are designed to improve clinical outcomes and reduce operating costs for more than 50,000 customers in the senior care, home care, acute care, physician and retail markets. "Having the right product at the right place and time and at the lowest cost is very important to us," says Brad Mueller, vice president of supply chain solutions.
Amware Logistics LLC has acquired the assets of ParcelPort LLC, a provider of high-volume product and literature fulfillment services. The latter will be integrated into Amware under the name Amware Fulfillment Services.
Intelleflex Inc. has entered into a partnership with DeltaTRAK Inc. to enhance cold-chain technology for the food, pharmaceutical and processing industries.
Korea's largest pharmaceutical company, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, is testing a radio frequency identification system at five of its wholesalers, as well as at five retailer locations throughout the nation.
According to Interpol, the return on investment for counterfeiting pharmaceuticals can be over 20 times more than the return on dealing illegal drugs. In addition to making more money, counterfeiters usually face relatively lower penalties if caught.
The replacement by Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. of Boeing 737s with widebody aircraft between Zurich, Switzerland and Newark, N.J. will allow Swiss WorldCargo, the carrier's cargo division, to market additional cargo space on that route.