Chemical Manufacturing

Google told me today (based on the search autofill) that the word 'counterfeit' has three popular associations: 'counterfeit money', 'counterfeit pens', and 'counterfeit gods'. While the last one is specifically the title of a book (Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods, a great read IMO), the other two are, as expected, related to money. But the crime of fake duplication is not exclusive to money; it pervades every industry in which money can be made. The pharmaceutical industry is no exception, as I was reminded about in a recent C&EN article by the American Chemical Society.

It was only this past May when the Food & Drug Administration released a warning to consumers about counterfeit versions of Adderall, an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug in short supply. The forgers were taking pain pills with no markings and of the wrong color, packaging them in blister packs (rather than bottles) with poor labels and misspellings, and selling them on the internet. Not surprisingly, these counterfeits were easy to spot (Frank William Abagnale, Jr. would be shaking his head).

(Credit: The American -->)

Not all counterfeits are so blatant. Many counterfeiters are true professionals and know how to make fake drugs (and more importantly their packaging) more convincing. Pharmaceutical companies have resorted to more sophisticated, harder-to-copy packaging with labels and identification technology designed to track their products. But like many types of criminals, counterfeiters have a way of getting around these barriers. True counterfeit identification needs to come largely from the chemistry.

The difference between a fake drug and a genuine drug is often subtle, involving minor variations in the concentration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), formulations, or shape. Counterfeiters will do this to delay detection by simple analytical tests and initial reports from patients (who will experience at least some of the intended effects upon use). Typically, counterfeits that are very similar to the actual drug are the greatest financial threats because they can be sold in multiple iterations before detection. Those that are very chemically different post the greatest risks to people's health, and have also been said to be a leading cause for growing drug resistance among disease-causing parasites. In both extremes of counterfeiting, early detection solutions are thus extremely important.

Past methods of anticounterfeiting involved taking samples of suspicious drugs back to a lab for analysis. Unfortunately, the time this takes causes more problems than it solves. Testing for counterfeits at transit, distribution, and sale locations demands devices that are portable, rugged, and reliable, such as Thermo's handheld TruScan RM instruments and Bruker Optics' Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyzers. The TruScan allows drug substances to be identified through packaging, aiding in anticounterfeit efforts on multiple levels. The FTIR analyzer is used in mobile labs as an alternative to time consuming and work-intensive chromatography methods.

(<-- TruScan Analyzer. Credit: R&D Magazine)

Similar portable devices have recently been developed to make numerous different laboratory detection methods more efficient and available. For quick detective work, mid-IR, near-IR, and Raman spectroscopy are considered the most popular approaches. They are simple, fast, and selective, and can analyze solids with little or no sample preparation. The equipment itself is designed to give a pass/fail response (rather than data) when comparing the spectra of a sample with the known product. This provides quick answers on possible fakes, and saves the 'why' for later analysis.

Sometimes even this is not good enough, as many drug inspectors want to avoid opening shipping containers for fear of destroying valuable genuine products. For this, a group led by King's College is working on a quadruple resonance (QR) device that uses radio frequency methods in real time to detect APIs through layers of plastic, wood, glass, and cardboard. Through this method, inspectors can tell how much of the active ingredient is there and compare that to the form consistent with the manufacturer.

(Credit: Apothecurry -->)

In the end, counterfeit drug detection needs will vary based on the type of drug, the location, and the resources available. Certainly these portable technologies are a big step towards stopping counterfeit successes, helping ensure that people are getting the medications they need and legitimate pharmaceutical companies are making the profits they deserve.

References

Finding Fakes - C&EN

Wood is perhaps the world's most familiar building material. It's been used for ages because it is readily available, easy to cut and shape, and is relatively strong (depending on the type of wood). Unfortunately it doesn't nearly have the strength or durability of metals, and has swelling, rotting, and flammability problems that other building materials do not. That's why, when cost is no obstacle, wood is not typically the first choice.

But a well understood chemical reaction called acetylation could help to change this and may solve many of wood's apparent shortcomings.

Most types of wood modifications are physical treatments that involve infusing materials into the wood or lacing the surfaces with coatings. Acetylation on the other hand actually changes the wood's chemical composition. In the acetylation process, acetic anhydride reacts with the hydroxyl groups on large molecules in the wood's plant cell walls (e.g. lignin and hemicellulose). The reaction replaces hydroxyl groups with acetyl groups and produces the by-product acetic acid. This same process has been used through the last century for making cellulose acetate (acetylated wood pulp) as material for many different products such as photographic film, wedding dress fabric, playing cards, and cigarette filters.

(Chemical outline of the acetylation process. Credit: C&EN)

The result of acetylation on wood is impressive. Most freshly-cut wood will lose about 10% of its volume when it is dried, and unfortunately it has the potential to regain this size if in contact with enough water. Through the acetylation process, acetyl groups actually spread out the cell wall and restore the wood to its original volume. Acetylated wood is as big as it's going to get; in other words, no swelling. Because of its resistance to moisture, the wood is also quite a bit stronger and more durable. This subsequently helps it resist termite infestation because of its increased hardness.

Strength, durability, decay resistance - all this is great, but what's the catch? Well, acetylated wood treatment has been around for a long time, but various technical and economic limitations have prevented it from taking off.

The technical difficulties of acetylation mainly arise when treating whole pieces of wood rather than fiber or pulp. For starters, there is little uniformity between different pieces of wood, since (thanks to the beauty of nature) every piece is unique. In addition, the surface area for treatment on a block of wood is also minimal, making deep penetration harder to accomplish. In addition to these problems, chemists and engineers have to deal with the acetic acid produced by the acetylation process, which if left untreated can corrode regular steel fasteners and make the wood smell like vinegar.

On the money side, acetylated wood is much more expensive than your typical lumber. For example, a 16-foot board of decking, pressure treated wood might go for ~$15, composite would be around $45, and Perennial Wood (Eastman Chemical Company's brand of acetylated wood) would top nearly $52. That's a pretty penny for quality, and the largely equivocal synthetic materials have proved dominant on the market so far.

However, in a future where consumers and architects begin to move away from non-renewable materials and carbon-intensive industries, acetylated wood may be able to compete. That's what Eastman Chemical Company and a few other firms are hoping for as they focus on particular niches including decking, windows, doors, and cladding. Certainly there is something to be said for using real wood, and it will be interesting to see how this initiative affects the future of building and construction.

(Eastman is focusing on outdoor furniture and decking for its Perennial Wood brand. Credit: Eastman -->)

References

Making Wood Last Forever With Acetylation - C&EN

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The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Chemical Manufacturing, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Chemical Manufacturing today.

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The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Chemical Manufacturing, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Chemical Manufacturing today.

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The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Chemical Manufacturing, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Chemical Manufacturing today.

The lead story this month considers proposed changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) proposed by the American Chemistry Council (ACC). The act, which was written 35 years ago, provides important protections. However, given the changes that have occurred in science and technology, changes to the legislation may be needed.

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Chemical Manufacturing, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Chemical Manufacturing today.