Articles by Sean
Preventing Chemical Degradation of Drug Products
While developing a drug product, we often overlook the chemical stability of the ingredients. Many drug components are susceptible to reactions like hydrolysis and oxidation, reducing the drug’s overall effectiveness before reaching the patient. How do we determine the shelf life of a drug, and how can we reduce chemical degradation? […]
The 2022 UN Loss and Damage Fund is Terrific News—Now Who Will Foot the Bill?
One of the big takeaways of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) was the endorsement of a Loss and Damage Fund. It assigns financial liability to big polluters (wealthy countries) to cover the costs of climate-induced damage in poorer countries. But just how effective will this open-ended policy be? Not very, is the most probable answer. […]
Duration of Patent Protection and Market Exclusivity for New Drugs
When pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs, they create intellectual property. This information is protected by patents and market exclusivity laws for a certain period, during which the company can expect to be the sole manufacturer and seller of the drug. How can we calculate the duration of protection for new medicines? […]
How Does a Pressure Gauge Work?
Found in a range of different machines—from fire extinguishers to engine oil—pressure gauges are simple yet valuable contraptions. They measure the pressure of a liquid or gas within pipelines and containers, ensuring systems around the world function safely. But how do they work? We look inside the mechanism of a pressure gauge. […]
Different Types of Plastic in Pharmaceutical Packaging
The discovery of plastic over 100 years ago was a manufacturing miracle. Being cheap to produce yet versatile, plastic is still the most popular material in almost every industry; pharmaceutical packaging is no exception. Both solid and liquid medications often come in plastic bottles, but how do we decide what type of plastic to use for each drug product? […]
Sean is a consultant for clients in the pharmaceutical industry and is a lecturer at a local university, where unfortunate undergrads are subject to his ramblings on chemistry and pharmacology.
