Ensuring product quality is of utmost importance to the pharmaceutical industry, and appropriate controls and oversight are required for both the drug-manufacturing process and the supply chain for pharmaceutical ingredients.

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean-freight unit of Deutsche Post DHL, has developed a new air-freight service for the life sciences and healthcare sector.

Cognex Corp. has developed a new version of In-Sight Track & Trace, the company's identification and data-verification software for healthcare product serialization.

Analyst Insight: Highly regulated industries"”such as pharmaceuticals, aerospace, food, and chemicals"”typically implement traceability and serialization capabilities to meet regulatory requirements, quality, and recall purposes. These same capabilities can be useful in reducing theft within the supply chain. But it takes more than just technology. It requires a community that can share that information effectively and collaborate with law enforcement at national, state and local levels. -- Bill McBeath, Chief Research Officer, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: Supply chain has often been an afterthought for pharmaceutical manufacturers. The patent cliff, increasing reliance on generics, and price pressure from payers all create considerable margin pressures on pharma companies as well. This forces them to pay closer attention to operational efficiencies, including the supply chain. However, less noticed is the impact that evidence-based medicine and outcome-driven payment strategies have, compelling pharmaceutical manufacturers to more closely manage their entire end-to-end chain, especially on the downstream side. - Bill McBeath, Chief Research Officer, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: The pharmaceutical and bio-tech industry, as well as the medical device and medical product industries, are at a crossroads. This crossroads consists of industry identity and business channel markets determination - each of which will drive every company's future in the domestic and international marketplace as a single sector leader or multimarket healthcare provider for the coming decade. - Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

When many doubted needed HIV/AIDS commodities could be delivered timely and qualitatively to hard-to-reach areas of Africa, an innovative approach to healthcare logistics proved them wrong.