Proper packaging is essential to securely and reliably preserve and transport pharmaceutical products, including vaccines and medication, from the time they are filled until they get to a patient. Adhesives play a key role in packaging performance, especially in the face of strict storage requirements. Some vaccines need to be kept at -70 C (-94 F), which leads to complex packaging requirements and the need to set up ultra-low-temperature freezers at vaccination centers. These storage requisites create logistics and transportation challenges for carriers and a wide preparation for national health systems. 

H.B. Fuller offers readily available extreme cold resistant adhesive grades with Advantra® 9280 EU and Advantra® BOLD™ 9480. These have been designed for tough surfaces and harsh conditions such as high speed pharmaceutical packaging lines without counterpressure. 

 H.B. Fuller’s Advantra adhesives demonstrate tamper evident fiber tear on pharmaceutical packaging and confirmed fiber tear after seven days storage at -70 C and after reconditioning at refrigerator temperatures of 4 C (39 F). 

The ISO 7 class clean room can produce nine-layer blown films from extrusion to packaging, which the company claims is a first in the US. The addition enhances Berry’s ability to supply more sensitive applications such as sterile intravenous solution bags, pharmaceutical packaging, medical equipment manufacturing, and microchip packaging.

Installed in Berry’s existing Dalton, Georgia facility, the clean room provides a controlled environment, complete with FDA-approved lubricants and contact surfaces, and a 100 per cent inspection system for real-time defect detection for quality assurance. Berry’s new clean room installation reduces foreign particulates by up to 99.9 per cent compared to a conventional production environment.

“The addition of the US’ first commercial-scale, fully enclosed clean room manufacturing provides customers with optimal product safety for the specific needs of healthcare and pharmaceutical applications,” said Curt Begle, president of Berry’s Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division. “This enhanced capability, paired with our unmatched supply reliability, means customers can benefit from a dependable supply of films for the most sensitive of applications, allowing customers to avoid recalls and potential waste due to package contaminants.”

In combination with the clean room introduction, Berry has added Optym Pure to its portfolio of films for medical device packaging. An extension of the company’s existing Optym range, Optym Pure offers ultra-clean packaging films produced in a clean room environment. It is also downgauged in comparison to existing structures by 25 per cent.

Huhtamaki, a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions and Syntegon, the German processing and packaging technology provider, today announce a breakthrough innovation for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. Push Tab® paper, the first paper-based tablet packaging, is made from renewable FSC™ certified paper and is designed to meet the stringent safety requirements of regulated pharmaceutical packaging. It provides customers a more sustainable alternative to traditional push-through packaging made of thermoformed PVC and aluminium and also helps to reduce environmental impact throughout the value chain.

Push Tab® paper tablet packaging has more than 75% paper-based material sourced from FSC™ certified suppliers in Europe. Combining it with advanced barrier coating technology, Huhtamaki successfully makes the sustainable paper packaging sealable without compromising the safety, functionality, or protective properties compared to traditional mono PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) blisters. A special mechanical treatment allows consumers to push the tablet through easily without damaging the product inside. The material is further processed and formed with Syntegon's unique paper shaping technology and machinery.

"We are proud to introduce a new, more sustainable packaging solution for the tablet for the healthcare sector that has high growth potential," says Fabio Daidone, Sales Manager, Flexible Packaging, Huhtamaki. "European sales of flexible packaging in the Pharmaceuticals category had an estimated value of €1.1 billion in 2020, of which approximately 80% are in blister packaging. We are happy to help our customers respond to opportunities with Push Tab® paper, designed for circularity, which presents the first sustainable alternative for this packaging type."