Packaging
Well thought-out solutions for the pharma market: Gerresheimer highlights progress in glass and plastic
Tuesday 17. March 2009 - Smart packaging and systems - interesting from more and more viewpoints
Glass and plastic, pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery: what the Gerresheimer Group offers in these sectors for the pharma market is already a rarity in its complexity. At this years Interphex in New York the international specialist highlights why its product spectrum is one of the most versatile and also the most successful in the world. From injection and inhalation systems to vials and tablet containers it offers a highly innovative range – tailored precisely for the increasingly more differentiated needs of its customers and markets (March 17 to 19, 2009, Booth 1142).
“In relation to medicines, the packaging and application systems are naturally secondary products. But what use is the most effective drug if, for example, it becomes instable in a syringe or cannot be injected properly?” For Burkhard Lingenberg, Director of Marketing and Communication for the Gerresheimer Group, the aims and interests of the pharma industry, medical practitioners and patients are more closely and comprehensively linked with intelligent packaging design than ever before. The focus here, he says, is on the particular sensitivity of biopharmaceutics as well as, for example, economy in filling operations, protection against counterfeiting, application safety and convenience in practice. Visitors to Interphex can obtain information from Gerresheimer about leading technologies and new forward-looking solutions from every viewpoint. A brief overview of the key areas of focus in the display confirms this.
Syringe systems. Our leaders in this field have a laser-applied identity code, multicolor printing and a tamper-evident closure system. In addition, they are delivered to the pharma industry sterile, pre-assembled and, if desired, with baked-on siliconization: the latest developments under the successful trademark RTF (Ready to Fill) are causing quite a stir. In addition to all-glass syringes it also has its own line of highly effective system components.
A new type of laser encoding provides glass syringes with a practically indelible label in a space of just one square millimeter on the finger flange. The tiny matrix code can be read by scanners in clinics and pharmacies and means that the identity of the product unit can be established at any time. The innovation helps to avoid confusion and, above all, provides an effective track and trace solution to counter the worldwide problem of inferior product imitations on the pharma market.
A heat transfer process allows multicolor printing directly on the glass in a single economic process. Here again, safety aspects are a key consideration: the color distinction between calibrations, product data of various types and barcodes for example creates transparency and allows particularly important information to be clearly highlighted. An added bonus is that brand logos finally appear to full effect in authentic color reproduction.
Multifunction syringe closures such as TERNS (the Rigid Needle Shield made of thermoplastic elastomer) or TELC (the Tamper Evident Luer Lock Closure with a twist-off action) have been shown by market studies to have real safety advantages in practical handling. Another interesting syringe accessory in the wide range of complementary products is the Backstop: combining a plunger stop and enlarged finger flange.
Baked-on siliconization – recently patented for Gerresheimer in the USA and Europe as Baked-On RTF – provides an alternative to the long-tried and tested liquid siliconization which customarily provides the glide agent for the plunger on the inside of syringes. This is particularly important for delicate injection materials since certain active ingredients react sensitively to liquid silicone oil, even to the point of inactivation. The baked-on process fixes the traditional glide agent to the glass almost without residue, thereby substantially improving the long-term stability of the medication.
With Clearject, Gerresheimer presents a new umbrella brand for crystal-clear prefillable plastic syringe systems made of cyclic olefins (COP). The COP syringes with an inert surface have an extremely high level of mechanical resistance and are particularly suited for the demanding area of cytostatics and biopharmaceutics. Further information is available in our flyer, which you will find on our website (http://www. gerresheimer.com/en/products-services/information-material/ tubular-glass.html).
Pen systems. These particularly handy injection systems which can therefore be used safely even by the patient are of significant benefit in the area of self-injection above all.
In addition to adapted special cartridges, Gerresheimer is now also able – in the course of its full-service project business – to develop and produce insulin pens for diabetic patients as fully coordinated glass-and-plastic systems.
Standardized pharma-glass packaging. In itself alone it is perhaps the worlds broadest and multifaceted range for the pharma industry in the sector of vials, ampoules, cartridges, bottles and jars. Gerresheimer produces both tubular glass and molded glass in all the relevant glass types and with all the relevant pharma-specific shapes, sizes, surface treatments and finishes. Glass tubes are also produced by the Group itself as a vertically integrated manufacturer.
In the case of vials made of borosilicate glass a new classification facilitates orientation. Depending on the intended use and individual requirements, three product categories offer each customer the right solution. The premium category PharmaPlusTM guarantees maximum precision and meets the highest customer-specific quality requirements. Further information about this is provided in our flyer, which you can find on our website (http://www.gerresheimer.com/en/products-services/information-material/tubular-glass.html).
System packaging made of plastic. Trade-fair visitors are also sure to find interesting new ideas in this stand section. The highly diversified packaging spectrum caters for both solid and liquid medicines and is very flexible not only in terms of shape and form: for the full variety of vials and bottles it offers a wealth of practice-oriented combination possibilities with smart closures and dosage/application approaches. The latest highlights include for example:
A further-refined range of tamper-evident desic¬cant closures which Gerresheimer itself produces for its Duma tablet containers completely under one roof, together with the integrated desiccant elements. In particular, this all-inclusive production operation simplifies the necessary registration procedures for the pharma industry. Gerresheimer was the first manufacturer in the world to introduce this.
A widely expanded range of pharmaceutical PE and PET bottles. With the integration of the Brazilian company Allplas and the Spanish PET specialist EDP Gerresheimer has now advanced to become a complete supplier in this important market segment as well.