View news and innovations from PACK EXPO 2024
View all the latest news and innovations from PACK EXPO International 2024

AstraZeneca's two-pronged authentication

A unique carton number in the 2D bar code on the carton flap and a serialized tamper-evident seal are the two prongs of AstraZeneca's authentication program. For the complete story, see Packaging World magazine's June issue story, "Anti-counterfeiting strategies begin to take shape," on page 80.

Healthcare Packaging Community Minute

COMPANIES

• Atlas Vac Machine, a division of Planet Products, received a patent based on the application "Heat Sealer With
Platen Surface Temperature Sensor and Load Sensor."

• Alcan Inc. announced that Alcan Packaging Kreuzlingen (Switzerland) obtained ISO 15378 Quality Certification.

• The Bosch Group plans to acquire Pharmatec GmbH, Dresden, Germany, from Fresenius ProServe GmbH. The transaction also includes the acquisition of the Pharmatec subsidiary Schoeller-Bleckmann Medizintechnik GmbH, Ternitz, Austria.

• The Blackstone Group, London, England, acquired Klöckner Pentaplast Group and all its holdings from Cinven, London, England, and JPMorganPartners LLC, New York, NY. Klöckner Pentaplast Group also announced plans to build a manufacturing plant in Aurangabad, India.

• Multisorb Technologies acquired Silgel Packaging Ltd., Telford, England, a subsidiary of Amcol Minerals Europe Ltd. and Amcol Intl., Arlington Heights, IL.

• Uhlmann Group announced the founding of Koch Packaging Systems, LP to serve the North American packaging markets.

• Comar, Inc. sold its glass division to Gerresheimer's Kimble Glass, Inc. operation. Comar intends to reinvest the capital obtained from the divestiture to its pharmaceutical and healthcare plastics packaging business.

• Alcoa Inc. reaffirmed an offer to acquire the outstanding common shares of Alcan Inc. The transaction is subject to review by antitrust authorities in various global jurisdictions, and requires foreign investment clearance in Canada, France, and Australia.

• GE Healthcare has acquired Wave Biotech, LLC and its subsidiary Wave Europe Pvt. Ltd.

• K-Tron, which recently acquired Premier Pneumatics, will use the Premier Pneumatics brand name for all of its pneumatic conveying lines.

• Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging started an injection-molding operation in New Milford, CT, to produce printed tubes and desiccant stoppers.

• NNE Pharmaplan was launched as a joint company following NNE's acquisition of German engineering firm Pharmaplan GmbH. The new company will focus on engineering and consulting services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries.

• Ahura Corp. changed its name to Ahura Scientific, Inc., to better reflect its dedication to scientific innovation.

• O-I Healthcare Packaging de Mexico entered a 50/50 joint venture with Pavisa Industries called O-I Pavisa S.A. de C.V., to sell plastic healthcare containers in Mexico and other Latin markets.

• InkSure Technologies Inc. entered into an agreement with Enforcers of Intellectual Property Rights of Mumbai, India, for marketing InkSure SmartInk solutions for detecting counterfeit goods.

• International Business Solutions Alliance, LLC signed an agreement with SATO America, Inc., to offer a more secure method of administering patient care and improved patient safety through SATO's Positive Patient Identification solution.

• PacSys Inc. and PAT Technology Systems Inc., formed an alliance to expand North American sales and marketing efforts related to PAT's new digital UV ink-jet
coating process.

• Pharmaceutical and healthcare contract packer Central Pharma acquired Adpack Europe.

• Perfecseal announced registration to the ISO 13485:2003 Medical Device Quality Management System for its Perfecseal Healthcare Film manufacturing plant in New London, WI.

PEOPLE

Integrated Project Services appointed Eugene K. Martini, P.E., senior director, project delivery operations, and David J. Brown, director, project services...Ray Germonprez was promoted to vice president and chief technical officer for Bemis Co...Invensys Validation Technologies announced three appointments: Shelley Preslar will head a new office in the Research Triangle Park, NC, area; Janice Brousseau director of business development in the North East regional operation; Eddie Nieves as director of operations and business development in the Puerto Rico regional office.

ACHIVEMENTS

Biopharmaceutical firm Gilead Alberta received a 2007 "Plant Services Best Practices Award" for improving pharmaceutical batch processing efficiency while substantially reducing costs using Foxboro (www.foxboro.com/instrumentation) pH sensors...R&D Magazine awarded Ahura Corp. with a 2006 R&D 100 Award for Ahura's FirstDefender handheld chemical identification system...Market research firm/consultancy Frost & Sullivan awarded Werum Software & Systems with its 2007 Company of the Year Award in the Manufacturing Execution Systems category for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries...Tekni-Plex won the Abbott Supplier Excellence Award for its exceptional contributions to the global healthcare company in 2006.