Advanco partners with Utrace to enable MENA pharmaceutical companies to achieve traceability compliance

Advanco and Utrace, two of the globe’s leading pharmaceutical track and trace solution providers, have announced a strategic partnership to enable Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries meet stringent regulatory compliance deadlines.

The joint offering will see advanco’s industry-leading software platform, ARC, be available alongside Utrace’s leading-edge serialization software solution, Utrace Hub, to provide a Level 3 and Level 4 combined offering across the Middle East.

Traceability & serialization requirements are being mandated across the MENA region to combat the growing problem of counterfeit medicines. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain already have live compliance systems in place, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is working towards the launch of mandatory aggregation and serialization reporting on December 13^th.

If MENA companies fail to achieve compliance, they face being fined, or even getting barred from product launches which could potentially lead to significant business and financial implications. The new regulations will allow pharmaceutical companies to prove that their products are genuine, by enabling them to be tracked across the entire supply chain, right from their manufacturing origin through to the end destination before being used by consumers.

Alf Goebel, Advanco CEO, said: “We are witnessing a welcome, pivotal moment in the evolution of the Middle East’s pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, governments across the region should be applauded for recognizing the importance of track and trace technology as a weapon against those who forge medicines, a terrible practice responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people every year.

“Both advanco and Utrace are proven leaders in the track and trace sector. Our joint offering will enable the MENA region to join countries across the globe in giving consumers the invaluable peace of mind that essential medicines are not life-threatening forgeries”.

Konstantin Ivanov, Utrace CEO, said: “The collaboration will allow us to combine Utrace’s and advanco’s expertise to support pharmaceutical companies and help them to maximize their digital supply chain automation and pass serialization journey as smoothly as possible with L3 and L4 leading track-and-trace solutions. Pharmaceutical companies in the MENA region will be able to ensure the traceability of goods at all stages of the supply chain and overcome all the related challenges. Our joint work with advanco will help hundreds of companies adapt to the requirements of a rapidly changing environment”.

The track-and-trace of serialized goods, whereby each individual product is given a unique identification code (UID), allows for each UID to be tracked along its respective supply-chain. The ability to track & trace each item, from its manufacturing origin to its destination, provides the assurance that a product’s provenance is a genuine one.

Track-and-trace is a process that is widely seen as an essential weapon against illicit trade by forgers who produce potentially harmful products for unsuspecting consumers of medicines, food, and luxury goods. It is also an important deterrent against those who make counterfeit products designed to steal from the legitimate market and its consumers.

About Utrace

Utrace is a leading-edge serialization software solution L4 provider that helps confidently navigate an ever-changing environment and gain benefits by increasing supply chain traceability. Our unmatched synergy of product development and implementation services helps us bring our clients the maximum benefits from our innovative Cloud solutions to our excellent delivery.

Utrace Hub leading software solution is a Digital Twin of the physical supply chain. Decentralized scalable Cloud-based solution enables entire supply-chain tracking from production site to point of dispensation. This is combined with the ability to connect with trade partners, 3PLs, external systems: ERP, WMS, Site Managers, and regulatory databases—creates a compliant system of record for your products. We pride ourselves on being able to give our clients exactly what they desire regardless of their circumstances. We build a world in which people make mindful decisions to protect themselves, others and the environment.

More information can be found at https://utracesolutions.com

About advanco

As the leading provider for Levels 2 to 5 Item Level Serialization, advanco has been offering extensive, holistic and mission critical solutions in the fields of supply chains as well as Track & Trace since 1981. It is now well into its second decade of providing leading solutions for the cross-industry serialization of products, with particular focus on the global pharmaceutical industry. Our Development and Support team draws on over 4 decades of experience in the supply chain sectors, arming our customers with an industry-leading software platform, known as ARC. This end-to-end solution works seamlessly through manufacturing, packaging, and along the entire supply chain, featuring Track & Trace. The software is customized to suit current and future needs, while optimizing existing customer systems.

The ARC solution offers maximum flexibility, extremely high security, and governmental compliance, without sacrificing quality standards. The result provides our customers with a significant competitive advantage.