Packaging
Gerresheimer displays up-to-the-minute practical approaches for pharmaceutics
Wednesday 21. January 2009 - With news about an exemplary range of primary packaging and system approaches Gerresheimer awaits guests at this years Pharmapack in Paris (January 21-22, 2009, Booth E16).
Specialist visitors can inform themselves across the board about glass and plastic – in the world of both these materials, innovative techniques for drug delivery such as syringes, inhalers and pen systems play a key role in addition to vials, ampoules, cartridges, etc. All the pharma-specific competence areas in the Gerresheimer Group are represented. And all rank internationally among the leading suppliers in their field.
The syringe range is one of the particular highlights. Especially with RTF (Ready to Fill) Gerresheimer has for a long time enjoyed a reputation as a pacemaker – the latest presentation of these high-end systems which are delivered to pharma companies completely ready for filling, i.e. siliconised, preassembled and sterilised, confirms this yet again. In addition to the wide range of all-glass syringes, ClearjectTM – a new umbrella brand for sterile prefillable plastic syringes made of crystal-clear COP (Cyclic Olefin Polymer) – is presented Because of their inert surface and break resistance these syringes are particularly suitable for use in the demanding area of cytostatics and biopharmaceutics. The high-calibre glass collection on the other hand features laser-applied ID codes, colour-differentiated product information, intelligent application tools and baked-on siliconisation. “Practical benefit and application safety have reached new standards in all regards,” says Burkhard Lingenberg, Director of Marketing and Communication for the Gerresheimer Group.
The growing market for drug imitations has been countered by Gerresheimer through a new and reliable track-and-trace solution: laser encoding. A tiny matrix field measuring only millimetres, situated in the case of syringes on the finger flange, makes it possible to establish the identity of the individual product at any time – for example in pharmacies and clinics. Multicolour direct printing on the glass, which can be realised economically today by means of heat transfer printing, serves not only to enhance the aesthetic brand appeal but brings optical order to the host of product information, calibrations and barcodes which are often difficult to comprehend in monochrome. The addition of colour helps to avoid confusion and application errors.
The days when nurses had to beware of needle-prick injuries through an unguarded search in the syringe cupboard or doctors lost a large part of the injection dose by jerky opening of Luerlock syringes are now gradually becoming numbered. Unlike traditional needle hoods made of rubber, the Rigid Needle Shield made of thermoplastic elastomer (TERNS), soft on the inside only and prick-proof on the outside, provides effective protection against sharp needles. And unlike unsecured stopper closures, the Tamper Evident Luerlock Closure (TELC) for syringes without a pre-mounted needle can be easily screwed off without jerking. In the dilution of dry medications the Backstop prevents the plunger being withdrawn completely from the syringe by mistake with the result that the medicine runs out. In addition, a wide finger flange makes the injection easier to carry out. Finally an ingenious label-integrated system to make used syringes safe rounds off the accessories displayed in Paris: the Needle Trap, a development by Schreiner MediPharm in which Gerresheimer Wilden manufactures the sophisticated plastic part, the plastic sleeve. Here, directly after the injection, the used needle slips into the plastic sleeve – out of harms way for the user and for disposal staff.
Patents in Europe and the USA have been received by Gerresheimer for the RTF process of baked-on siliconisation which has been created to allow the advantages of long-proven silicon coating to be used widely for biopharmaceutics as well. The usually liquid silicon oil which ensures that the syringe plunger slides easily down the glass wall can cause a sensitive reaction from some biopharmaceutical substances – sometimes to the point of inactivation. Baked-on siliconisation solves the problems by fixing the same proven glide agent to the glass permanently and practically without residue.
For self-injecting diabetics and home care, insulin pen systems often offer a welcome alternative to the syringe. The pens, which are very easy to use and therefore particularly safe in the hands of non-professionals, are offered by Gerresheimer as an innovation in the context of its customer-specific full-service business. A new high-tech production facility has recently been created for these pens, and a complete product line right through to directly matched glass cartridges can be supplied: all the plastic and glass components of this combination product come from a single source. In the field of drug delivery, inhalation is another important area. In Paris, powder inhalers, capsule inhalers, nebulisers and the latest generation of rhinological spray systems bear excellent references from the pharma industry – and provide an impression of the outstanding competence in the exclusive sector of medical plastic systems with which Gerresheimer serves different technologically advanced requirement areas.
Gerresheimer Wilden not only offers a full service in the field of drug delivery systems, including individual development, own tool and machine construction, injection moulding in clean rooms, packaging and logistics. In the field of diabetes as well Gerresheimer Wilden has a long-standing area of focus – for example with injection aids and lancets which the company realises for industrial customers in the diagnostics field.
A unique variety is also offered in the field of standardised pharma packaging. Gerresheimer can today completely cover all needs for high-quality pharma containers and functional equipment in all three of the three major material groups into which this market divides: tubular glass, moulded glass and plastic.
Glass vials, ampoules and cartridges stand for state-of-the-art technologies in the tubular-glass range – in parallel of course to the syringes which form part of Gerresheimers Tubular Glass Division. Options such as heat transfer printing as described above now therefore also complement the wide range of fine-walled borosilicate glass containers. Particularly in the case of vials a new categorisation of the product groups also now simplifies selection: pharma basic, pharma select and pharma plus offer the right vial for every use according to customer-specific quality requirements – right through to maximum precision and surface-treatment possibilities.
Pharma bottles and pharma jars made of moulded glass also leave no wishes open in their field – either in terms of shape and size or the options for surface-treatment or finishing. In addition, with glass types I, II and III, all pharmaceutically suitable material types are also available. The product groups range from ointment pots made of opal glass and classic amber syrup bottles to technical chemical containers made of clear glass.
An ingenious and innovative impression is given in all regards by the Gerresheimer range of pharmaceutical system packaging made of plastic – a multifaceted product world full of interesting developments for safety and convenience. The product spectrum comprises containers for liquid as well as solid medicines and in addition offers a varied, practice-oriented peripheral range of multifunctional closure and dosage systems. Moisture-absorbing tablet bottles which Gerresheimer manufactures completely in-house, even including the integrated desiccant elements, were already an outstanding highlight at last years Pharmapack: this year increased attention may be attracted by the range of PET bottles in particular: with the integration of the Spanish-Argentine PET specialist EDP in 2008 the Gerresheimer Group has now also advanced to become a complete supplier in this important market as well.