Wyeth, Organogenesis Given "Teams of the Year" Awards

Teams from Wyeth Consumer Healthcare (WCH) and Organogenesis, Inc. have been awarded 2008 "Team of the Year" awards by Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine.

Itasca, IL (PRWEB) November 17, 2008 -- Teams from Wyeth Consumer Healthcare (WCH) and Organogenesis, Inc. have been awarded 2008 "Team of the Year" awards by Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine. Wyeth was chosen ahead of other applicants from teams at large manufacturers, while Organogenesis is being honored in the small manufacturer category.

These annual awards recognize manufacturing teams in the life sciences industry that have undertaken sizable challenges, excelled in their work, improved facility morale and team spirit, and achieved measurable, meaningful results. The teams were selected by the magazine's editorial staff in consultation with a panel of outside experts.

The judges hailed the WCH Supplier Quality Excellence Team for its success in improving relationships, and results, with its global suppliers. The team is comprised of representatives from five different global facilities.

Supplier quality issues have dominated drug industry headlines this year. As lawmakers, FDA and other regulatory agencies, and consumer advocacy groups are advocating for increased supply chain safety, manufacturers are scrambling to improve their supply chain oversight. The Wyeth team is far ahead of this trend. Recognizing in 2006 that supplier quality issues were one of the biggest challenges facing the organization, the supplier quality excellence (SQE) team set out to improve its collaborations with suppliers to ensure raw material safety and packaging reliability.

In the time that it has been together, the team has significantly reduced the number of supply-related issues, increased its rate of on-time deliveries, and established a model "supplier scorecard" system to track performance. Most importantly, the team has encouraged its suppliers (and suppliers' suppliers) to undertake their own excellence programs, modeled on the Wyeth program. It is largely for this documented and far-reaching influence that the Wyeth team is honored.

The Organogenesis Apligraf Manufacturing Team, headed up by Phil Nolan, Vice President for Manufacturing Operations, in the Canton, Mass. facility, is responsible for growing Apligraf wound care therapy, based upon a proprietary living cell technology with a very short shelf life that requires strict attention to detail and accurate production forecasting.

Over the past few years, Nolan's team has made major improvements in several areas: cycle time and waste reduction, cost savings, and a record of no safety concerns in over 200,000 applications. The team has increased its team spirit and connection to the product as a result of these improvement initiatives.

Both teams will be featured in words and pictures in the November/December 2008 issue of the magazine, as well as on PharmaManufacturing.com. They will receive official Team of the Year crystal trophies, to be presented in person by Pharmaceutical Manufacturing's editorial staff.

For more information, visit PharmaManufacturing.com.

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