WEST POINT, Pa., Aug. 1, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Colorcon, a world leader in solid-dose design, formulation and tablet identification technologies, announces the intent of its Brand Enhancement Services Team to commercialize a new method to help pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement companies protect their brands from counterfeiting, prevent medication error, improve tablet traceability, and ultimately protect patients. The method incorporates a new on-tablet laser inscription technique, DataLase Pharmamark(TM), licensed from DataLase, to be used on film coated tablets. The film coatings will include a proprietary additive that induces a color change in the film coating precisely at locations on the tablet surface exposed to a low-power, DataLase-approved CO2 laser. The technique can facilitate identification control of every single tablet, from the time it leaves the manufacturing plant to the time the patient takes it.
The method will provide an unprecedented opportunity for identifying individual tablets. It is the first tablet identification technique where serial numbers and standardized alpha/numeric identifiers, product logos, patient details, dosage information or images can be inscribed on the dosage form itself. Laser-inscribed serial codes can be used as a counterfeit-resistant measure alone or in combination with other industry technologies. Laser marking can also be used in the development of products with distinctive brand characteristics.
"Colorcon's laser-markable film coatings and the new license agreement with DataLase broadens our suite of technologies for tablet identification, and will give manufacturers greater protection of their products," said Frederick R. Kettinger, Managing Director, Brand Enhancement Services. "As the world leader in advanced solid-dose film-coating systems, Colorcon is in the forefront in bringing our industry this laser protection capability."
For the first time ever, film coated tablets can be marked using an advanced non-contact process, expanding the options of manufacturers currently using printing inks or debossing tablets to identify their products. Production advantages for laser inscription include the elimination of solvents during manufacture, a cleaner operation, a fast change-over of product lines, and potential cost-savings.
For a Whitepaper on how this technology supports anti-counterfeiting, please visit http://www.tabletdesign.com/com_drug_counterfeiting.pdf
About Colorcon
Colorcon, Inc. is the world leader in developing advanced film-coating systems for solid dosage medications. For more than 45 years, Colorcon has assisted pharmaceutical formulation scientists worldwide with tablet formulation, immediate and modified release color film coatings, and advanced science expertise, helping them produce economical, functional and safe products. The Colorcon Brand Enhancement Service Group offers marketing research and tablet design services that provide expertise enabling pharmaceutical companies to distinguish their tablets through color, shape, high-definition imaging, special coatings, flavors, and product security identifiers. The resulting tablets are designed to improve compliance, reduce medication error, and enhance product identity and security. This will benefit patients, pharmacists and the health care industry alike. For more information about Colorcon and BEST(TM), please visit http://www.colorcon.com/best.