March 2023: Traceability and authentication of syringes and vials
Under the auspices of the EUREKA Eurostars programme, since the second half of 2022 nano4U AG and TrustedMeds4U GmbH together are participating in a new R&D project aiming at the completion of an industrial demonstrator for pharmaceutical syringe and vial traceability and authentication, including the use of blockchain or cloud based IT solutions that can easily be integrated with existing manufacturer ERP systems.
Single dosage authentication of liquid pharmaceuticals packaged in glass syringes and vials is a hot topic in this industry, particularly as the demand for billions of vials in the COVID 19 vaccination arena has driven growth rates to unprecedented levels since 2020.
nano4U AG coordinates this project which sees collaboration from three additional partners in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
This project’s end-product will, for the first time, enable manufacturers to reliably authenticate each and every single liquid pharmaceutical dosage along the entire supply chain and to easily clarify any error-code flagging that may turn up along supply chains as a result of serialization requirements (i.e. EU-Falsified Medicines Directive and similar programmes in other territories).
The system can also be used very effectively in the area of GMP compliance monitoring.
Sep 2019: TrustedMeds4U on Linkedin.
Follow our Linkedin company site for pharma anti-counterfeiting news, project updates and other items of interest to the product security and track & trace community.
Feb 2019: TrustedMeds4U opens Germany technical facility.
Our technical facility in Lörrach, Germany, is equipped with our high-speed scanning systems for pharmaceutical dosage forms. These allow us to capture digital signature information from tablets - including unique information tied to the original materials and production, and encrypted tracking data used for authentication and track & trace purposes. The facility supports the pharmaceutical anti-counterfeiting, anti-tampering and track & trace systems developed by nano4U AG.
Feb 2019: Completion of SRAP Feasibility Study highlights product recall issues and the anticipated Positive Impact of SRAP Solutions.
The SRAP feasibility study led by nano4U AG and concluded in late 2018 shows some nervousness in the pharmaceutical industry regarding the levels of product recalls and the ability to truly authenticate products in the supply chain. The EU Falsified Medicines Directive has introduced a complex supply chain tracking system for prescription medicines in Europe. However, this does not authenticate the product but only checks its secondary packaging (carton). Authentication of the product itself (as opposed to its packaging code) normally requires breaking open of the primary packaging making the medication unusable or destroying it. SRAP technology offers a solution to this problem by allowing authentication of the product itself and complete protection against tampering - in a serialisation-compatible way if needed - without removing the product from its packaging, removing it to a lab, adding anything to the tablet recipe, and with or without a database. This is seen as a breakthrough technology that can be applied in the pharmaceutical industry to substantially reduce the risks associated with recalls (financial and other), as well as fundamentally improving the safety of patients.
This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement Nr. 808887.