(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) Todd Blonshine, CEO of Mustard Tree Instruments® addressed an audience of over 75 members of the pharmaceutical, life sciences, and affiliated market sectors in the Research Triangle Park region as the featured speaker for November’s Innovation in RTP event.
In his presentation, “Drug Shortages and Recalls: Redefining Quality Control in the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry with A Purpose” Blonshine discussed the challenges of quality control issues with raw materials in the drug manufacturing process and how his company is helping to alleviate the strain on manufacturers through its innovations in analytical testing instrumentation.
“Quality and testing issues have been identified as a major root cause of shortages and recalls, Mustard Tree is seeking to address the real foundation of why these issues exist,” Blonshine said.
The influx of raw materials into the U.S. drug manufacturing process from foreign sources has brought with it new challenges and need for increased vigilance during the manufacturing cycle, Blonshine explained. Recent news reports have shown that more than 70 percent of active ingredients for pharmaceuticals in the U.S. are made overseas in places such as China and India which significantly extend the supply chain making it difficult on government safety oversight.
The unchecked overseas supply chains are targets for an increasing number of counterfeit materials making their way into the manufacturing process.
“Pharmaceutical manufacturers can no longer operate under the assumption that their raw materials are what they thought they were,” Blonshine said, adding, “High value drug starting ingredients are prime targets for cutting corners and other forms of dangerous tampering.”
Mustard Tree Instruments® has developed a unique multi-variant testing device, the VTT 1000, which takes a complex process and makes it easy and accessible to drug manufacturing professionals throughout the production process. This important verification tool allows users to make instant quality control decisions on the go, correcting production when inconsistencies are found and avoiding costly recalls of finished product.
“The origins of materials in the global pharmaceutical industry are ever evolving. What we’ve done is develop a tool that helps drug manufacturers rapidly implement and assess some critical quality attributes to minimize risk, generate cost savings, and ultimately improve public health,” Blonshine said.
Innovation in RTP is a series of monthly discussions to increase the global awareness of companies in the greater Research Triangle Park region. Mustard Tree Instruments® is located in the heart of the Park, having increased its footprint this summer from 5,400 to 14,000 square feet of offices and R&D space to accommodate projected growth and future product needs.
For more information about the VTT 1000 or Mustard Tree Instruments® please visit www.mustardtree.com or email [email protected].
About Mustard Tree Instruments®
Mustard Tree Instruments® accelerates the QC process by bringing testing from the lab to the production line. Mustard Tree Instruments® is redefining pharmaceutical manufacturing testing with a unique multi-variant device, the VTT 1000. Using Raman spectroscopy technology for enhanced accuracy, this easy to use at-line instrument quickly verifies raw materials to final dosage forms in solid, powder, and liquid product samples within seconds. The rapid analytics of the VTT 1000 significantly reduce testing time and set-up costs while mitigating manufacturing risks associated with bad product batches. Mustard Tree Instruments is committed to fully engaging customers from purchase through implementation. For more information, visit www.mustardtree.com.