ForgeStop and EM Microelectronic Win CPHI Pharma Award 2026 for Secure Connected Packaging

Independent panel recognizes a chip and platform that give every pharmaceutical pack a verifiable identity, production line to patient, now in commercial use

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ForgeStop today announced that its joint entry with EM Microelectronic, Secure Connected Packaging for Pharmaceutical Track-and-Trace and Authentication, has won the CPHI Pharma Award 2026 for Drug Delivery, Devices and Packaging Innovation. The award was presented on October 6 at the CPHI Celebration during CPHI Milan, one of the pharmaceutical industry's largest global events. Winners across 15 categories were selected by an independent panel of global industry experts.

The winning entry gives every pharmaceutical pack a unique cryptographic identity, applied on the production line as a tamper-evident InfoTap^® smart label. Built on EM Microelectronic's dual-frequency chip, a single tag is readable by UHF RAIN RFID readers for case and pallet tracking in logistics, and by any NFC smartphone for verification at the pharmacy counter or in the patient's hand. No app is required.

Printed codes, including the serialized 2D barcodes mandated under the EU Falsified Medicines Directive and the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act, can be photographed and reprinted onto counterfeit stock. A secure chip produces a new signed value on every tap, so a copied tag is flagged rather than trusted. Manufacturers gain real-time authentication and tamper data on every unit, and the same tap can deliver electronic product information (ePI) as European regulators move the statutory leaflet from paper to digital.

The technology is in commercial pharmaceutical production, including at IFA Celtics in Mexico, the first pharmaceutical company in that market to adopt NFC authentication, and in premium spirits.

"Our technology tracks every pack from packaging and serialization on the production line, through each distributor and pharmacy, to the patient's hands," said Terry Katz, CEO and co-founder of ForgeStop. "If a product is scanned somewhere it should not be, the brand is notified immediately, not months later in an audit. Diversion and counterfeiting become visible while there is still time to act, and that protects patients."

"Pharmaceutical packaging needs an identity that cannot simply be photographed and reprinted. Pairing our dual-frequency secure chip with ForgeStop's platform gives each pack a verifiable identity from the production line to the patient's hand, readable by logistics systems and by any NFC smartphone. This award confirms that the industry is ready for it," said Tom Racette, Sr. Director Market Development, EM Microelectronic.

ForgeStop was also a finalist in the Digital Transformation category for the ForgeStop connected products platform, one of six entries shortlisted.

About ForgeStop
ForgeStop is a connected products platform that gives every physical product a secure digital identity at the point of manufacture. From the production line to the brand's dashboard to the consumer's tap, anyone can verify a product with a smartphone, no app required. ForgeStop serves pharmaceutical, premium spirits and consumer goods brands in the United States, Mexico and India, and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Learn more at forgestop.com.

Diana M
ForgeStop Technology Corp
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