Global pharma packaging specialist SCHOTT is once again expanding its production of prefillable polymer syringes. The company will invest a double-digit million euro figure to add another 50% to its existing capacity. The new production lines will be installed at the company's syringe competence center in St. Gallen, Switzerland, which has seen a steady capacity increase in recent years.
"The additional capacity will be installed in 2019 and ramped-up beginning of 2020," says Mario Haas, head of Polymer Solutions at SCHOTT Pharmaceutical Systems. "From our site in St. Gallen, we offer both glass and polymer syringes to the pharma industry. We are therefore well acquainted with the pros and cons and can consult pharma companies on what the best material to package a certain medication would be."
According to Haas, demand for prefillable polymer syringes has experienced particular growth in recent years. This has been driven in part by existing markets including emergency pharmaceuticals, infusion therapy and highly viscous medications such as dermal fillers, which gravitate towards polymer due to its light weight and flexible designs. Growth is further driven by a broader range of applications. These include sensitive biologics that are administered in combination with devices and need special packaging to ensure drug stability, as well as immunoglobulin, which are filled in large size syringes. A growing market for polymer syringes is also cancer treatments, which rely on a perfect fit with infusion connectors.
SCHOTT's polymer syringes are available in small and large volume sizes ranging from 1 ml to 50 ml. The capacity increase will expand production of all sizes. The company has over 15 years of experience in manufacturing polymer syringes on state-of-the-art production lines. The fully automated technology ensures that all process steps starting from injection molding to the packaged product are completed without human interaction.
