First initiative is to eliminate visible particles from parenteral products,

The Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) has announced a significant initiative to bring together executives, including CEOs and executive vice presidents, from biologic and pharmaceutical manufacturers with glass container and elastomeric closure suppliers to prepare industry for the complex products and manufacturing processes of the future. They aspire to achieve this through collective and collaborative continuous improvement projects to take today's world-class injectable medicine manufacturing to the next level.

Their first initiative is to eliminate visible particles from parenteral products. Since December, a PDA task force, consisting of multidisciplinary members from biologic and pharmaceutical manufacturers and suppliers of glass container and elastomeric closures with more than 1,000 years of experience combined, has been meeting with a focus on the entire supply chain from raw materials to finished product. This initiative represents an audacious goal, and will only succeed with all affected parties working collaboratively toward the objective of eliminating visible particles.

PDA is also proud to announce a memorandum of understanding with the BioPhorum Operations Group who has worked with a team of professionals to improve the performance of rubber closures for parenteral products. The memorandum of understanding expands the collaboration and accelerates the development of best practices and standards, while striving to avoid the development of conflicting approaches.

Patients will be the key beneficiary from this effort to ensure quality medicines are delivered in a robust and reliable supply chain. The goals of the initiative epitomizes PDA's mission to advance pharmaceutical / biopharmaceutical manufacturing science and regulation so its members can better serve patients.

The initiative was made possible by PDA Chairman of the Board, Martin VanTrieste, who worked diligently to persuade over 40 executives representing over 30 companies to come to Bethesda, Maryland to join forces and work together to serve patients. These executives committed the necessary resources to staff the initiative with subject-matter experts consisting of manufacturing professionals, supply chain professionals, quality professionals, engineers, scientist and physicians.