I thought I’d share some good reads this month. Have you checked out these articles? What did you think?

1989 to Present: PharmTech Highlights 30 Years of Bio/Pharma
PharmTech tackles 30 years of the pharma & biopharmaceutical industries – from the launch of ICH, the Maastricht Treaty and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), to unrestrained M&A, specialty pharma and the impending Brexit. There’s nothing like a nice trip down memory lane! Read it at PharmTech > http://www.pharmtech.com/standing-test-time-0

M&A – Will 2019 Set New Records?
Speaking of the M&A boom – it continues unabated. In What’s Behind all the M&A Deals in Pharma?, pharmamanufacturing.com’s senior editor Meagan Parrish shares how 2019 is on track to be a record-setting year for mergers…the result of only two mega-deals (BMS’s purchase of Celgene and AbbVie’s acquisition of Allergan). More > https://www.pharmamanufacturing.com/articles/2019/whats-behind-all-the-m-and-a-deals-in-pharma/

Sartan Impurity Testing
A few months ago, we published an analysis of the Valsartan contamination by Ashok Gawate – Neuland’s General Manager of Developmental Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs (How the Valsartan Contamination Happened: Its Context & Implications). NDMA and NDEA contaminants continue to worry regulatory bodies, and an article at in-pharmatechnologist.com shares how the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products is revising testing protocols > https://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Article/2019/08/09/Switzerland-to-boost-detection-of-sartan-impurities?utm_source=copyright&utm_medium=OnSite&utm_campaign=copyright

Brexit & Supply Chains
Pharmaceutical-technology.com ponders the implications of no-deal Brexit on life science supply chains: “Companies risk either using up too many resources in contingency planning or end up not putting  enough aside and struggle to cope should the worst-case scenario unfold. In short, Brexit presents companies with challenges unlike any other they have encountered.” Read it here > https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/sponsored/life-sciences-supply-chain-brexit/

Chinese APIs Earn Trump Admin Ire
On the topic of drug supply chains & trade conflicts – APIs sourced in China are raising the ire of the U.S., with the Trump administration seeing “the increasing use of Chinese-made active ingredients in drugs taken by U.S. troops and civilians as a national security risk.”
https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/30066-pentagon-sees-security-threat-in-chinas-drug-supply-dominance

Is Blockchain the Answer for Pharma Supply Chain Woes?
As the pharma industry seeks tools to maintain parity with counterfeiters, much has been said about the potential of blockchain. While still in its infancy – and with many obstacles to overcome – is it a viable solution? Here’s an article at PackagingEurope discussing its potential role in helping to secure drug supply chains > https://packagingeurope.com/is-blockchain-the-key-to-a-secure-supply-chain/

Agile Pharma
In a recent post on project management, we discussed how we leverage both the Waterfall and Agile management approaches – depending on the project. With a focus on minimizing waste and time, Neil Osmond shares his guide to implementing Agile in pharma. https://pharmafield.co.uk/in_depth/a-guide-to-implementing-agile-in-pharma/

Yet More on Brexit
Hope about the abundance of outstanding trade deals the UK was going to sign post-Brexit has given way to the hard slog of actually doing it. In an article in PharmaTimes, Ana Nichols discusses the yet-to-be-completed trade deals the UK will need to negotiate and conclude to keep their pharma industry on track. http://www.pharmatimes.com/magazine/2019/julyaugust_2019/the_promised_land