At the pharmaceutical trade fair Interphex in New York, SCHOTT Pharmaceutical Systems will be presenting the world’s first cartridges that have been developed specifically for the use on high-speed filling lines. The new design enables quicker processing and reduced overfill losses.
Experts believe that diabetes patients already account for more than five percent of the adult population of our planet. That would be over 200 million people. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Diabetes Federation expect this figure to increase to 333 million by 2025. “To meet the growing demand for insulin, more and more pharmaceutical companies are manufacturing on so-called high speed filling lines. But high speed filling comes with special quality requirements for the cartridge”, explains Dr. Bernhard Hladik, Head of Cartridge Product Management at SCHOTT.
For instance, in order to optimize the total cost of ownership, several vendors have started using laser light and sensors to accurately control fill levels and so ensure optimal bubble-free dosing and less product loss through overfilling. Dedicated to customer-driven product development, SCHOTT experts have teamed up with lead customers in order to translate those process requirements into a new product design. This includes defining the neck specification with respect to straightness and cosmetic defects. “But product development and process development usually go hand in hand: In addition to our new product specification the industry requires a validated manufacturing process,” adds Hladik.
The manufacturing will be piloted in St. Gallen, Switzerland. This is where SCHOTT’s competence center for cartridges is based and from where modifications to manufacturing will be managed globally. “The demands are extremely high. After all, up to 600 cartridges per minute are being filled on these high-speed filling lines,” Hladik adds. Experts predict that this trend will not only be limited to the diabetes sector, but also take root in the dental cartridge business.
