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Gerresheimer to offer pharma glass and plastic in Moscow

Gerresheimer is, in its sector, one of the few global partners for the pharma and life science industry. Since the last PharmTech it has also grown considerably: with a current total of 37 locations in Europe, America and China it serves customers around the world – including the largest concerns as well as smaller, often specialist manufacturers. In addition, Gerresheimer has expanded its product and service range not only in the field of pharmaceutical glassware but also in pharmaceutical plastic products. “I am confident that in Moscow we can provide a wealth of great new ideas for the East European market,” says Burkhard Lingenberg, Director of Marketing und Communication for the Gerresheimer Group.

The Gerresheimer Divisions of Tubular Glass, Moulded Glass and Plastic Systems present an overview tailored to the special requirements of the region. This year again visitors can expect an international team of experts who will be travelling to Moscow from Gerresheimer companies from all over Europe. In addition to borosilicate glass tubes as an intermediary product and all the variants of pharma glass packaging, their display includes a wide variety of plastic-based packaging and application systems as well as system approaches covering all aspects of injections. A brief summary of especially up-to-the-minute highlights is provided below.

A new market standard: Duma® desiccant closures for tablet containers. As a ground-breaking innovation for the large market for tablets this new type of closure system first of all won the 2007 German Packaging Award and then the global WorldStar – and has now actually been nominated for the President’s Award of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). Gerresheimer presents this forward-looking product development in detail. A particular highlight is a specialist lecture to be held on 22 November by Jens Christian Friis, Sales Director of Gerresheimer Vaerloese: “Safeguarding pharmaceutical products via integrated desiccant solutions”.

A completely new production concept marks a progressive step from which the pharmaceutical industry profits directly. The closure principle as such has a long and well-tried record: to protect tablets against atmospheric humidity, special capsules filled with a drying agent (desiccant) are integrated in the caps. All the market standards to date have had one disadvantage however: the desiccant capsules were outsourced with the result that pharmaceutical companies had to complete additional registration procedures.

Gerresheimer is now the first manufacturer in the world to produce such closures - including the desiccant capsules – in a single integrated process chain. This means not only that the need for separate registration is avoided but that transportation and logistics expense are reduced and above all that external influences are excluded as comprehensively as possible. In addition, the closures have a perfectly tailored tamper-evident feature. They are available as screw caps (Duma® Twist Off) or snap-on caps (Duma® Handy Cap). The specialist lecture in Moscow provides an insight into their state-of-the-art production in clean-room facilities with fully automated control and checking systems.

New dimensions in practice benefits: RTF® syringe systems and accessories for injections. In this field there is steadily increasing demand for the advanced products displayed in Moscow by the syringe competence centre Gerresheimer Bünde. Particularly high growth rates are being achieved by the sterile syringes under the trademark RTF® (Ready to Fill). As the pacemaker in this sector, Gerresheimer has now added to its wide glass syringe spectrum a special range of products made of the plastic COP (Cyclic Olefin Polymer). As already announced at the last PharmTech, this means that a specific product line is now available covering contrast-material and depositary solvent syringes with filling capacity up to 20 millilitres and outstanding barrier properties.

Intelligent accessories for RTF® as well as bulkware syringes serve the purpose above all of ensuring safety in practical use. The phenomenal success of these accessories has recently been confirmed by objective market studies conducted on an international level by the MEFOS Institute in Munich on the Tamper Evident Luerlock Closure (TELC) and the Rigid Needle Shield (RNS). In the first case, detailed questions were put to 110 physicians, nurses and self-injecting patients and in the second case to specialists from 30 pharmaceutical companies. The results impressively highlight the great importance attached to the security of the medication, protection against needle-prick injuries, compatibility of the materials used and problem-free functional characteristics.

New strengths: expansion of the performance range to include medical plastic systems and life science equipment. As an important sideline to the display, interested visitors can also obtain information about the dynamic expansion of the Gerresheimer Group as a whole. It now includes for example Gerresheimer Wilden, another European market and technology leader, covering the major sector of medical plastic systems for pharmacy, diagnostics and medical technology. It provides a full service specialising in the realisation of individual systems and components which are used for example in the targeted treatment of respiratory disease or in diabetes diagnosis. In addition, a joint venture between Gerresheimer and Thermo Fisher strengthens the range of glass equipment in the field of life sciences on a highly advanced level: ‘Kimble Chase Life Science and Research Products LLC’ which was set up in 2007 enjoys a leading worldwide position in its market sector.