Digital Supply Chain for Hikma Pharmaceuticals

Video Overview

Hikma Pharmaceuticals, a U.S. and global manufacturer of generic and in-licensed medicines, has partnered with IndX for more than a decade to use digital Supply Chain Tracking and Tracing solutions for product compliance, data visibility and government reporting.

With ongoing support from the IndX team, Hikma has streamlined product data exchange with downstream partners, met supply chain requirements across multiple countries and continued to evolve and expand its digital ecosystem, while also navigating pharmaceutical compliance for the upcoming FDA Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).

In this video, Brian Merriam, Director of IT at Hikma Pharmaceuticals, discusses a project recognized as one of Hikma’s premier digital collaborations.

Video Content Breakdown

Speaker Introduction & Company Overview

My name is Brian Merriam. I am the director of IT for Hikma Pharmaceuticals. Hikma Pharmaceuticals is a multinational pharmaceutical company that is traded on the London Stock Exchange.

Facility Overview & Distribution Scope

I'm standing at the Hikma distribution center located in Lockbourne, Ohio. The facility ships all finished products out throughout the U.S and to several global sites.

Regulatory Landscape & Industry Challenges

Over the years, regulatory requirements in the pharmaceutical manufacturing space have changed dramatically. There are requirements now for manufacturers to serialize and track pharmaceutical products through the supply chain.

Partnership History & DSCSA Program

Hikma partnered with IndX back in 2003 for several projects. We also partnered with them back in 2016 for the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) that was enacted by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) 10 years ago. It is a 10-year rollout program that we've been working on at Hikma for a long period of time. The aim of the requirement is to be able to track products throughout the supply chain.

Technology Selection & Serialization Architecture

Hikma chose SAP Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals (SAP ATTP) as their global repository for serialization. Hikma also chose SAP Information Collaboration Hub (ICH) as another solution that is a pipeline in the cloud to get our Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) to our downstream partners.

Business Drivers & Compliance Objectives

Some of the business drivers behind our decisions moving forward with technology were, of course, patient safety, counterfeiting and ensuring government reporting is in place so that we can react to any suspect product or any inquiry that the agency would have.

System Integration & End-to-End Process

For this project, we integrated SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC), which is our Enterprise Resource Planning system, with SAP ATTP. This will enable the distribution center to scan products going out the door, capture the serial numbers and send them to our downstream partners. It truly is an end-to-end process that starts at our manufacturing facility and has the distribution center shipping the product out the door.

Global Regulatory Enablement

In addition to what we are doing in the U.S., since Hikma is a global company, we are also meeting government requirements globally. We are now live in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and the European Union Hub.

Partner Value & Long-Term Readiness

Hikma chose IndX as their partner, because they bring years of experience and have the needed talent to be able to support ongoing projects and future government regulations.

Patient Impact & Project Outcome

At Hikma, we strive to put better health within reach every day for our patients. When I look back on this project: by securing the supply chain and serializing and sending our products to our downstream partners, the ultimate person who will benefit from this will be the patient.

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