Chip-maker Intel has launched an all-out assault on the pharma business in India. It's targeting small- to mid-size drugmaker supply chain concerns and IT applications for speed and efficiency in the pharma trade.
On the supply chain front, the need is to "maximize the use of technology platforms," according to Frank Martinez, director for digital inclusion and government PC programs at Intel, in Pharmabiz. "We are the technology enabler and partner with the entire gamut of experts covering software vendors, telecommunication experts, architecture specialists," he said in the article.
Intel claims it can aid the 60,000 pharma distributors in India, plus drugmakers and pharmacies, in the area of "supply chain management to ramp up speed and dependability." Its "technology to the next billion users" is driven by the Atom processor powering notebook computers and the Xeon processor powering servers. The goal is to ensure both automation of the supply chain and compliance with regulations.
One drugmaker suggested that rural infrastructure would drive pharma growth and tech adoption is a necessity. IT solutions provider C Square Info Solutions says it's creating a supply chain ecosystem that will use 2D barcode security and information transfer mechanisms, allowing automated work processes even in remote areas that lack Internet access.
The speaker team addressed the pharma industry as part of a "Future of Pharma in India" series sponsored by Intel India and C Square. Some 150 "top pharma supply chain participants" attended, the article says, including AstraZeneca, Elder Pharmacy, GlaxoSmithKline and Ranbaxy, in addition to major pharma distributors and pharmacy chains.