Search

A new liquid chromatographic method was developed for simultaneous determination of the widely used oral antidiabetic, metformin hydrochloride with antidiabetics comprising the meglitinides class in bulk, laboratory-prepared mixtures and pharmaceutical products. It was applied in the presence of metformin-reported impurity (1-cyanoguanidine). It was also applied for the determination of repaglinide in the presence of its related compounds. Chromatographic separation was achieved with isocratic elution mode using a mobile phase of acetonitrile: 0.01 M sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH: 2.8) (67:33; v/v) flowing through a LiChrospher NH (amino) Agilent column (250 × 4.6 mm-5 µm) at a rate of 0.8 mL/min at ambient temperature in a run time of 4 min. UV detection was carried out at 220 nm. The method was validated according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. Linearity, accuracy and precision were satisfactory over concentration ranges (µg/mL): 3.5-350 for metformin hydrochloride, 14-140 for nateglinide, 1-100 for mitiglinide calcium and 0.1-100 for repaglinide. Coefficients of determination were ˃0.99 for all analytes. Limits of quantification were found (in µg/mL): 0.06, 0.08, 0.198 and 0.029 for metformin hydrochloride, nateglinide, mitiglinide calcium and repaglinide, respectively. The present method was found to be rapid, selective, economic and simple in operation satisfying the chromatographers' needs for quality assessment of pharmaceutical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Science-Based Technologies is the property of National Aviation University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This review gives a brief overview about microbial contamination in pharmaceutical products. We discuss the distribution and potential sources of microorganisms in different areas, ranging from manufacturing sites, pharmacy stores, hospitals, to the post-market phase. We also discuss the factors that affect microbial contamination in popular dosage forms ( e.g., tablets, sterile products, cosmetics). When these products are contaminated, the microorganisms can cause changes. The effects range from mild changes ( e.g., discoloration, texture alteration) to severe effects ( e.g., changes in activities, toxicity). The most common method for countering microbial contamination is the use of preservatives. We review some frequently used preservatives, and we describe the mechanisms by which microorganisms develop resistance to these preservatives. Finally, because preservatives are inherently toxic, we review the efforts of researchers to utilize water activity and other non-preservative approaches to combat microbial contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we evaluate the application of microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometry (MIP OES) to determine of Al, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn in children’s cough syrup, eye drops, and oral antiseptic using standard dilution analysis (SDA). The SDA method is simple, with only two calibration solutions prepared per sample. The first solution (S1), composed of 50% sample +50% of a standard solution, is introduced into the plasma and the analytical signals are monitored in a time-resolved fashion. Then, the second solution (S2), composed of 50% sample +50% blank, is poured into the vial containing S1. As the solutions mix, the analytical signals gradually drop to a stable baseline. The calibration curve is computed by plotting the ratio of the analyte signal (SA) over the internal standard signal (which is also part of S1) (SIS) on the y-axis, versus the inverse of the IS concentration on the x-axis (i.e., SA/SIS versus 1/CIS). In this study, SDA results were compared with values obtained with the traditional methods of external calibration (EC), internal standardization (IS), and standard additions (SA) in MIP OES determinations. The precision (represented as percent RSD) for SDA showed values in the range of 2.50–8.00% for all samples, while conventional calibration methods showed RSDs in the range of 6.40–32.50% for EC, 8.30–21.80% for IS, and 5.20–17.40% for SA. The LODs calculated for SDA are below the maximum limits allowed by the major pharmaceutical regulatory agencies, and presents superior precision and accuracy compared to the traditional calibration methods. Considering its simplicity and efficiency, SDA is an important new tool for accurate analyses of pharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malaysia, there is a growing demand for halal pharmaceutical products, especially from conscientious Muslims. For Muslims, seeking halal goods is a must in order to get Allah's blessings. Nevertheless, there are only a few pharmaceutical products in the market with the certified halal logo. Thus, for Muslim consumers in Malaysia, their due diligence effort involves looking at the ingredient listed in the packaging. For many consumers, some of this information is far beyond their common knowledge. If this happens, consumers are actually in the position of having imperfect knowledge. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the factors that caused imperfect knowledge in the buying decisions of Muslim consumers. Questionnaires were distributed to 100 Muslim respondents at public clinics in Putrajaya. This study found that label, awareness, and trustworthy led to imperfect knowledge in the buying decisions of pharmaceutical products among Muslim consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our recent paper, a new technique for automated spectra integration and quality control of the acquired results in qNMR was developed and validated (Monakhova & Diehl, Magn. Res. Chem. 2017, doi: ). The present study is focused on the influence of acquisition and postacquisition parameters on the developed automated routine in particular, and on the quantitative NMR (qNMR) results in general, which has not been undertaken previously in a systematic and automated manner. Results are presented for a number of model mixtures and authentic pharmaceutical products measured on 500- and 600-MHz NMR spectrometers. The influence of the most important acquisition (spectral width, transmitter [frequency] offset, number of scans, and time domain) and processing (size of real spectrum, deconvolution, Gaussian window multiplication, and line broadening) parameters for qNMR was automatically investigated. Moderate modification of the majority of the investigated parameters from default instrument settings within evaluated ranges does not significantly affect the trueness and precision of the qNMR. Lite Gaussian window multiplication resulted in accuracy improvement of the qNMR output and is recommended for routine measurements. In general, given that the acquisition and processing parameters were selected based on the presented guidelines, automated qNMR analysis can be employed for reproducible high-precision concentration measurements in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to study the main features of the marketing complex for pharmaceutical enterprises in the system of innovative development. Results. In the article the theoretical bases of pharmaceutical marketing of enterprises were further developed. Main characteristics of pharmaceutical marketing, the sphere of its interests and the features of the marketing complex were defined. The range of interests of pharmaceutical marketing includes: economic, social, ethical, potential, strategic, hidden, public and individual interests. Various approaches of authors to definition of a category pharmaceutical marketing are analyzed. We consider that the marketing complex of a pharmaceutical enterprise in the conditions of transition to an innovative development should contain five components (Product, Price, Promotion, Place and People -main participants of activity). The authors identified the importance of the fifth component of the marketing complex as People for innovative development. The place and role of knowledge and information was determined. The basis of innovative development is innovation, the basis of innovation is knowledge. So, knowledge and information is also a key category in the pharmaceutical marketing system, since it unites all participants from the producer to the consumer. The result of interaction (exchange of information and material flows) of all market participants is the creation of product, technological, process and organizational innovations. The classification of pharmaceutical products according to market classification criteria has been improved. The features of pharmaceutical products as an object of product innovation marketing policy are investigated. So, the product policy of pharmaceutical enterprises is based on product, technological and service innovations, which are caused by market needs that are constantly changing. Accordingly, price strategies and pricing methods should be constantly updated, which should be based on the principles of cost recovery and accessibility for the target consumer. The marketing policy in the pharmaceutical market depends on organizational innovations in marketing systems. The authors generalized the scheme of commodity circulation of pharmaceutical products on the basis of communication links, which demonstrates various sales channels and identifies relevant market participants. The proposed scheme can be put in the basis of the formation of the mechanism of marketing communication policy and the definition of communication strategies at various stages of product promotion. Features of application the marketing communications tools in the pharmaceutical market depending on the specific subject of the promotion process are analyzed. Legislative restrictions on advertising of pharmaceutical products have been determined. The means of mass communications, which are used by pharmaceutical companies, communication costs and popular brands are analyzed. Relations with pharmacists and medical personal, as well as a system of servicing at points of sale (pharmacies) also need new forms of interaction. Communication with the consumer is becoming more personalized and relocated to the Internet space, the consumer is becoming more aware and demanding and the effectiveness of mass communications is declining. All this requires innovative means of communication between manufacturers, doctors, pharmacists and consumers. Conclusions. The theoretical foundations of pharmaceutical marketing, taking into account the 5P complex, can be used as a basis for improving the mechanisms of innovative development of the pharmaceutical market by increasing the efficiency of marketing activities of all its stakeholders and forming effective marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) is considered as a powerful tool for measuring the absolute amount of small molecules in complex mixtures. However, verification of the accuracy of such quantification is not a trivial task. In particular, preprocessing and integration steps are challenging and potentially erroneous. A script was developed in Matlab environment to automate qNMR analysis. Verification of the results is based on two evolving integration profiles. The analysis of binary mixtures of internal standards as well as pharmaceutical products has shown that all common artifacts (phase and baseline distortion, impurities) can be easily recognized in routine qNMR experiments. In the absence of distortion, deviation between automatically (mean value of several integrals) and manually calculated values was generally below 0.1%. The routine is independent of multiplet pattern, solvent, spectrometer, nuclei type and pulse sequence used. In general, the usage of the developed script can facilitate and verify results of routine qNMR analysis in an automatic manner. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marine Pollution Bulletin is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pharmaceutical products are indispensable for improving health outcomes. An extensive body of work on access to and use of medicines has resulted in an assortment of tools measuring various elements of pharmaceutical systems. Until now however, there has been little attempt to conceptualize a pharmaceutical system as an entity and define its strengthening in a way that allows for measuring systems strengthening. The narrow focus of available tools limits their value in ascertaining which interventions result in stronger, more resilient systems. We sought to address this shortcoming by revisiting the current definitions, frameworks and assessment tools related to pharmaceutical systems. We conducted a comprehensive literature review and consulted with select pharmaceutical experts. On the basis of our review, we propose that a pharmaceutical system consists of all structures, people, resources, processes, and their interactions within the broader health system that aim to ensure equitable and timely access to safe, effective, quality pharmaceutical products and related services that promote their appropriate and cost-effective use to improve health outcomes. We further propose that pharmaceutical systems strengthening is the process of identifying and implementing strategies and actions that achieve coordinated and sustainable improvements in the critical components of a pharmaceutical system to make it more responsive and resilient and to enhance its performance for achieving better health outcomes. Finally, we established that, in addition to system performance and resilience, seven components of the pharmaceutical system are critical for measuring pharmaceutical systems strengthening: pharmaceutical products and related services; policy, laws and governance; regulatory systems; innovation, research and development, manufacturing, and trade; financing; human resources; and information. This work adds clarity to the concept of pharmaceutical systems and their strengthening by proposing holistic definitions on the basis of systems thinking. It provides a practical starting point for measuring the progress of pharmaceutical systems strengthening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution and size of dispersed-phase droplets impacts the most important parameters of fast disintegrating tablets including their bioavailability. The fact that after reconstruction the most emulsion droplets are bigger than those of primary emulsions led to a study of innovative emulsification techniques, like ultrasonic energy, mechanical mixing, and a combined technique of homogenization and ultrasonic energy. Taking the size of dispersed-phase droplets as criterion of effectiveness for a procedure to create a primary emulsion, it can be concluded that the proposed emulsification methods of ultrasonic energy and combined technique are not suitable for water phases containing hydrocolloids such as gums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elemental impurities may occur in pharmaceutical products under different conditions. Impurity composition includes many types of species: metals and non-metals, which can be essentially toxic, due to their direct health damage potential, and those essential elements or compounds, which play a physiological role in the human body in defined levels. The essential ones may develop an illness profile or a non-desirable situation, since their concentrations exceed permitted and tolerable limits. Inorganic contamination in pharmaceuticals has been observed in several countries. A high number of reports on metal contamination in natural products, traditional eastern medicines, herbal medicines and medicinal plants have been presented, especially with lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. A simple explanation to this fact is mainly related to metal deposition in the soil, water contamination, fertilizer and pesticide poisoning. Synthetic products are faced to catalyst deposition, water contamination, glassware impurities, contaminated raw materials and excipients, as well as uncontrolled manufacturing processes. Several analytical methods have been developed and improved for years, allowing the application of better strategies to evaluate metal contamination in pharmaceutical products. Spectroscopy techniques are used by industries in routine investigations, and can also be improved to attend different types of matrices and materials. In Brazil, the Brazilian Pharmacopeia and National Health Surveillance Agency are the available guide and institution, respectively, onto which the investigation of elemental impurities is based. In the international scenario, The United States Pharmacopeia (USP), The European Pharmacopeia (EU), The European Medicine Agency (EMA) Guideline and The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use(ICH) Guideline are the four most important and complete manuals for the evaluation of impurities in pharmaceutical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), raw materials and intermediates in the present days. A great amount of scientific research about inorganic impurities in pharmaceuticals has been conducted in recent years, but it still remains below the strategies of analytical applications due to the many possibilities of contamination. The continuous work on this theme, regulated by international agencies, is the best way to improve the quality of pharmaceutical products and to ensure safety in their use. The objective of this paper is to summarize spectroscopy techniques applied to inorganic evaluation in pharmaceuticals, considering the limits of element exposure to human beings reported by national and international references. [Display omitted] • Inorganic impurities in pharmaceutical products may cause hazardous effects to human health. • Analytical strategies for chemical elements determination in drugs were reported around the globe • There is a lack of concern about scientific research applied to inorganic impurities determination in pharmaceuticals samples. • Especially American, African and Asian natural products are not completely studied when it comes to chemical elements profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid and uric acid on glassy carbon bare electrodes and ones modified with β-cyclodextrin entrapped in polyethyleneimine film has been investigated using square wave voltammetry. The electrode modification was achieved in order to separate the voltammetric peaks of ascorbic acid and uric acid when present in the same solution. On the modified electrodes the potential of the oxidation peak of the ascorbic acid was shifted to more negative values by over 0.3 V, while in the case of uric acid, the negative potential shift was about 0.15 V compared to the bare glassy carbon electrode. When the two compounds were found together in the solution, on the bare electrode only a single broad signal was observed, while on the modified electrode the peak potentials of these two compounds were separated by 0.4 V. When the uric acid concentration remained constant, the peak intensity of the ascorbic acid is increased linearly with the concentration (r2 = 0.996) and when the ascorbic acid concentration remains constant, the peak intensity of the uric acid increased linearly with the concentration (r2 = 0.992). FTIR measurements supported the formation of inclusion complexes. In order to characterize the modification of the electrodes microscopic studies were performed. The modified electrodes were successfully employed for the determination of ascorbic acid in pharmaceutical formulations with a detection limit of 0.22 µM.

Background: Poisoning is one of the main causes of visits to emergency departments and hospitals in Iran. Drug and Poison Information Centers (DPIC) are reliable sources to guide poisoned patients and provide information about pharmaceutical agents. This study was designed to analyze recorded phone calls to Iran DPICs during 2011-2012.Methods: This was a retrospective study on phone calls to DPIC in Tehran between January 2011 and November 2012. Data including demographic features, type of poison (in case of poisoning) and intention of poisoning were collected by reviewing the reported phone calls to central division of Iran DPICs in Tehran.Results: It was found that 98.5% of the phone calls were inquiries about pharmaceutical products and only 1.5% of them were associated with poisoning. 49% of poisonings reported from the DPICs in 2011was intentional, while this rate increased to 67% in 2012. Regarding toxic agents responsible for poisonings, pharmaceuticals were the most common consisting of 68.6% and 70.9% of cases in 2011 and 2012, respectively.Conclusion: Pharmaceutical products are the main causes of poisonings in Iran. Public education on safety and storage issues and also strict terms of sale should be implemented. In addition, the majority of poisonings occurred intentionally while the rate showed an increasing trend. Predisposing factors of this high rate should be studied.

Akin to other inventions, new methods need to be devised allowing forregistration of pharmaceutical dosage regimens in much the same way asother patents. In doing so, there are two main challenges ahead. First,whether these dosage regimens, excluded expressly from the list ofpatentable products in Europe, may in fact be considered as a novel therapymethod? And second, given that ingredients and composition of such patentsare no longer an innovative secret, whether sole variation in their usagedosage may possibly fall within the scope of novel inventions?The answer to the above controversial questions have been the notion ofchallenge addressed by several European patent forums. This article willreview the approaches adopted by European Patent Administration indealing with recent trends introduced on the topic of new customized dosageregimens

Background: Computable general equilibrium models are known as a powerful instrument in economic analyses and widely have been used in order to evaluate trade liberalization effects. The purpose of this study was to provide the impacts of trade openness on pharmaceutical industry using CGE model.Methods: Using a computable general equilibrium model in this study, the effects of decrease in tariffs as a symbol of trade liberalization on key variables of Iranian pharmaceutical products were studied. Simulation was performed via two scenarios in this study. The first scenario was the effect of decrease in tariffs of pharmaceutical products as 10, 30, 50, and 100 on key drug variables, and the second was the effect of decrease in other sectors except pharmaceutical products on vital and economic variables of pharmaceutical products. The required data were obtained and the model parameters were calibrated according to the social accounting matrix of Iran in 2006.Results: The results associated with simulation demonstrated that the first scenario has increased import, export, drug supply to markets and household consumption, while import, export, supply of product to market, and household consumption of pharmaceutical products would averagely decrease in the second scenario. Ultimately, society welfare would improve in all scenarios.Conclusion: We presents and synthesizes the CGE model which could be used to analyze trade liberalization policy issue in developing countries (like Iran), and thus provides information that policymakers can use to improve the pharmacy economics

A screening study on seven photocatalysts was performed to identify the best candidate for pharmaceutical products degradation in water. Photocatalysts were deposited as thin films through a sol-gel process and subsequent dip-coating on glass slides. The efficiency of each photocatalyst was assessed through the degradation of methylene blue first, and then, through the degradation of 15 different pharmaceutical products. Two main types of synthesis methods were considered: aqueous syntheses, where the reaction takes place in water, and organic syntheses, where reactions take place in an organic solvent and only a stoichiometric amount of water is added to the reaction medium. Photocatalysts synthesized via aqueous sol-gel routes showed relatively lower degradation efficiencies; however, the organic route required a calcination step at high temperature to form the photoactive crystalline phase, while the aqueous route did not. The best performances for the degradation of pharmaceuticals arose when Evonik P25 and silver nanoparticles were added to TiO2, which was synthesized using an organic solvent. In the case of methylene blue degradation, TiO2 modified with Evonik P25 and TiO2 doped with MnO2 nanoparticles were the two best candidates.

Two simple, sensitive, selective and inexpensive spectrophotometric methods are described for the determination of simvastatin (SMT) in bulk drug and in tablets using permanganate as the oxidimetric reagent. In method A, SMT is treated with a measured excess of permanganate in acetic acid medium and the unreacted oxidant is measured at 550 nm, whereas in method B the reaction is carried out in alkaline medium and the resulting manganate is measured at 610 nm. In method A, the amount of permanganate reacted corresponds to the SMT content and the absorbance is found to decrease linearly with the concentration; and in method B, the absorbance increases with concentration. The working conditions of assays were optimized, and the methods were validated according to the current ICH guidelines. Under optimum conditions, SMT could be assayed in the concentration ranges, 1.47 - 17.67x10-5 and 2.27 - 27.18 x10-6 mol/L by method A and method B, respectively. The calculated molar absorptivities are 3.2 x 10³ and 2.5 x 10(4) L/mol/cm for method A and method B, respectively with corresponding Sandell sensitivity values of 0.0387 and 0.0178 μg/cm². The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) have also been reported. Accuracy and precision for the assay were determined by calculating the intra-day and inter-day at three concentrations; the intra-day RSD was < 2% and the accuracy was better than 2.15 % (RE). The methods were applied successfully for the determination of SMT in tablet dosage form with a high percentage of recovery, good accuracy and precision, and without measurable interference by the excipients. The accuracy was further ascertained from placebo and synthetic mixture analysis and also from the spike-recovery method.Dois métodos espectrofotométricos simples, sensíveis, seletivos e baratos são descritos para a determinação de sinvastatina (SMT) a granel e em comprimidos, utilizando permanganato como reagente oxidimétrico. No método A, a SMT é tratada com excesso conhecido de permanganato em meio de ácido acético e o oxidante que não reage é medido a 550 nm, enquanto no método B, a reação é efetuada em meio alcalino e o manganato resultante é medido a 610 nm. No método A, a quantidade de permanganato que reage corresponde ao conteúdo de SMT e a absorbância diminui linearmente com o aumento da concentração; no método B, a absorbância aumenta com o aumento da concentração. As condições de trabalho do ensaio foram otimizadas e os métodos, validados de acordo com as normas do ICH. Sob condições ótimas, a SMT pode ser ensaiada nas faixas de concentração de 1,47- 17,67x10-5 e de 2,27-27,18 x10-6 mol/L pelo método A e B, respectivamente. As absortividades molares calculadas são 2 x 10³ e 2,5 x 10(4) L/ mol/cm, respectivamente, para os métodos A e B, com os valores correspondentes de sensibilidade de Sandell de 0,0387 e 0,0178 μg/cm². Os limites de detecção (LOQ) também foram relatados. A exatidão e a precisão do ensaio foram determinadas pelo cálculo de três concentrações intra- e inter-dia; a RSD intra-dia foi

New Product Portfolio Management is aimed at helping decision-makers better select projects for new products based on key criteria for the manufacturer. The Brazilian pharmaceutical industry has been undergoing change due to stricter sanitary requirements following the enactment of the Generic Law in 1999. This paper presents the results of a research study aimed at clarifying the rationale employed by national pharmaceutical companies in selecting and prioritizing their new product development projects. Consequently, proposals for an analytical structure that could help these companies better select their products were produced. The research was carried out using case study methodology in which four different companies were investigated. The results of the field study confirmed that these companies had a non-structured Product Development System and that the selection of new product development projects was made on a non-systematic basis. The research also identified key criteria for the selection of projects of new pharmaceutical products, which provided the basis for the preparation of a proposal for a managerial standard for application of New Product Portfolio Management.A gestão de portfólio de projetos de novos produtos visa a auxiliar os tomadores de decisão a selecionar projetos de novos produtos considerando critérios importantes para a organização. A indústria farmacêutica brasileira tem passado por transformações devido ao aumento das exigências sanitárias após a Lei de Genéricos, de 1999. O objetivo deste trabalho foi entender como as indústrias farmacêuticas brasileiras selecionam seus projetos de desenvolvimento de novos produtos e propor uma estrutura que possa auxiliar estas empresas a selecionar seus projetos de produtos. Foi utilizada a metodologia de estudo de caso e uma mostra de quatro organizações foi investigada. Os resultados indicam que essas empresas apresentam um desenvolvimento de produtos não estruturado e que a seleção de projetos de novos produtos é realizada de forma não-sistemática. Critérios importantes para a seleção de projetos de novos produtos foram identificados e utilizados para elaboração de um padrão gerencial para aplicação da gestão de portfólio de projetos de novos produtos.

This paper aims at an analysis of the intellectual property policy in the health field by emphasizing the program of production and distribution of antiretrovirals and the generic drugs market, also reviewing the process of articulation and implementation of the intellectual property policy in this sector. From a methodological viewpoint, the paper favors the analysis of data related to the structuring of the pharmaceutical products market and of impacts both from the new institutionality and the intellectual property policies developed by the Ministry of Health in the first half of the 2000’s decade.

One of the main characteristics of health systems and pharmaceutical supply chains is their significant costs in the public sector, which has forced governments and companies active in this field to find ways to reduce costs. In this paper, the deterioration of imported pharmaceutical items is investigated as one of the challenges of the supply chain of pharmaceutical firms. Specifically, the micro, small medium enterprise (MSME), and a collaborative strategy to reduce its costs is presented. The technical solution of the cooperative strategy is the formation of a partnership alliance between the foreign patent holder of brand drugs and a domestic manufacturer through an exclusive license contract in the local country. This leads to a significant reduction of costs in the distribution network of the pharmaceutical supply chain. On the other hand, supply chain management techniques in the cooperative strategy provide the necessary motivation for its practical implementation by splitting fair profits between producers and other members, namely local government, distributors, and pharmacies. For these purposes, a cooperative game theory-based contract is utilized to set the parameters of the license agreement, and then a profit-sharing mechanism is introduced that splits the benefits of cooperation among the supply chain members based on their afforded costs. The most important contribution of the current research is to propose an integrated framework that combines the logistics network models, valuation methods, and profit split mechanisms that embody more facts from real-world problems than separate models in this regard in previous studies. Moreover, results of the proposed strategy in the supply chain of a drug for thalassemia patients in Iran indicate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in reducing costs and deterioration. Further, it is shown that the higher the ordering costs of the imported drugs, the lower the market share of the patent holder, and the lower the financing expenses of the cooperative alliance, the more efficient is the proposed strategy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThere is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)