Innovation in the pharma industry comes in the form of new drug products and novel manufacturing/production techniques. Both must be held to the highest standards of safety and quality. Various innovations are leading to facilities designed to meet these high standards.

In late September, I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of packaging supplier Datwyler’s facility in Middletown, Del. The design of this facility mirrors that of their sites in Belgium and India and showcases the company’s philosophy of reducing risk to products through innovative design.

Datwyler manufactures components for drug packaging at this facility using their “First Line” manufacturing processes. Intended to achieve zero defects relating to their products, this facility minimizes potential risks from human error [Editor’s Note: For more on “zero” defects, see the infographic]. The plant was configured with future needs and changing environments in mind. Their fluoropolymer spray-coating technology reduces the chance of defects from silicone particulates and automated technologies reduce operator interventions. The lean design of the facility allows full visibility of all manufacturing processes from walk-through corridors, giving visitors the opportunity to view all aspects of production.

I truly enjoyed seeing this new design in operation. As PDA strives to identify best practices in manufacturing science, we look forward to new technologies that achieve higher levels of patient safety. I can tell you from my experience that manufacturers and suppliers are rising to the challenge of anticipating new technologies and meeting the requirements set forth by regulators.