As pharmaceutical manufacturers race to respond to the global health crisis with a vaccine, the need to protect any potential vaccine's temperature tolerance remains a priority. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), up to 50% of vaccines are wasted each year, often due to inadequate temperature control in supply chain.
Packaging Technology Group has spent the last 15+ years protecting life-saving medications by designing, engineering, and manufacturing thermal packaging solutions for the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. PTG's engineering team has worked tirelessly to ensure qualified options will be available when it comes time to distribute the vaccine to 8 billion people around the globe, safely.
"Most vaccines require a 2-8°C temperature range, and others could be -80°C. It is essential that any vaccine maintains its required temperature throughout the supply chain,” said Bill Blezard, Chief Executive Officer of PTG. “We are committed to developing packaging designed to improve and simplify shipping solutions for critical temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and biologics."
The new off-the-shelf line pre-qualified solutions include small, medium, and large shippers that all maintain a temperature profile of 2-8°C for 48-96 hours. Each shipper has a qualified design to perform in the summer and winter seasons. This new line offers clients ease of ordering and will be a superior choice when selecting a supportive thermal shipper for vaccines and new biologics.
The pre-qualified solutions are offered in four different insulating materials, including EPS (expanded polystyrene), Cellulose, VIP (vacuum insulated panels), and PUR (polyurethane). The shippers in the cellulose line are 100% curbside recyclable and certified re-pulpable, which means the entire box can be conveniently disposed of in a standard recycling bin. To date, PTG has saved ~400,000 pounds of EPS from landfills by offering this earth-friendly solution.
