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Changing Realities: Pharm Aid MD Sanjeev Nanda Discusses The Scope Of Extended Reality In Pharmaceuticals

As evolving technologies continue to disrupt industries across the world, some concepts are making ripples felt across the pharmaceutical sector. One such new-age tech is extended reality (XR), the implications of which in pharma engineering and manufacturing are gaining ground at quite an impressive pace. But what makes this piece of technology such an appealing fit for the pharmaceutical industry?

We sought out Sanjeev Nanda, MD of Pharm Aid, to ask for his valuable insights into the subject. According to the pharma leader, the extended reality is not just a single tech concept, but it encapsulates three pathbreaking technologies – virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality. The combination of these three technologies combines the virtual world with the real one, thus offering a robust solution to many problems that arise due to the constraints of the physical world.

The infusion of these technologies has not only helped in simplifying operations and making services more effective but also in transforming operations and creating new ways of incorporating the use of virtual space for solving real-life problems. There are numerous ways in which extended reality technology is applicable in pharma manufacturing processes. Some of them are as follows:

Pharma manufacturing and XR

In the expert opinion of Sanjeev Nanda, XR technology is particularly useful in the drug manufacturing process, since arriving at a decision using a virtual model in place of a physical one is a lot easier and quicker. With the help of VR, full-scale manufacturing environments can be assessed well in advance, even before it exists in reality. This reduces errors in test equipment and helps examine critical and complicated tasks such as site analysis, review of process layouts, space management, etc.

Lab training and operational assistance with VR

Lab training before production starts at the manufacturing site is expensive and time-consuming. However, the use of VR for simulating the training process in a virtual environment that is close to reality enables training without the need for physical equipment. According to Sanjeev Nanda, incorporating visual gamification and storytelling elements in training through VR can improve knowledge retention, thereby reducing errors.

Remote operations through XR

Another major perk of XR technology in pharmaceuticals comes in the form of remote operations, points out Sanjeev Nanda. With remote engineering, specialists from one part of the world can communicate with and guide other team members without having to be physically present there. This can be used for multiple scenarios, including but not limited to remote maintenance, 3D teleportation, digital meetings, etc.

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