Pharmaceutical packaging has witnessed a significant shift in the market preference – from Pharma Glass to plastics. This is especially true in the injectable devices segment. This change in preference has also led to a recent shift in the product portfolio of a few renowned parenteral packaging supplier companies in order to meet the market demand. There were significant tests carried out in companies’ pilot plant to assess the feasibility of shifting from glass to plastic.
What were some of the factors that influenced the decision to shift to plastic? -
Some of the main reasons driving the shift include recent advancements made in the drug formulation stage. This has led to an increased drug complexity in addition to quality challenges faced by the use of glass, including delamination, breakage, and even siliconization, among other reasons. Therefore, the problems faced by glass have also proved to be major concerns for pharma players’ injectable drug’s packaging procurement. This is because the supply base is characterized by long term contracts.
However, it is important to better understand why parenteral packaging is essential. Drugs are usually administered through the intravenous, intra ocular or the intradermal formats are referred to as parenteral drugs. These drugs are different from conventional oral as well as extra dermal drug intake. Parenteral drugs are used to cure disease including cancer, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other diseases. For these diseases, injectable are highly effective methods of administration. Therefore, Pilot Plants are testing the use of plastic as opposed to glass.
It is imperative to note that parenteral packaging is regarded as among the fastest growing pharmaceutical packaging formats. Therefore, the shift from pharma glass to plastic was not entirely a surprise. Parenteral package has a CAGR of 8-9% from 2014-19. The boost in demand is driven by lifestyle disease, ageing population in addition to increasing health awareness in countries like India and China. -
What were some of the factors that influenced the decision to shift to plastic? -
Some of the main reasons driving the shift include recent advancements made in the drug formulation stage. This has led to an increased drug complexity in addition to quality challenges faced by the use of glass, including delamination, breakage, and even siliconization, among other reasons. Therefore, the problems faced by glass have also proved to be major concerns for pharma players’ injectable drug’s packaging procurement. This is because the supply base is characterized by long term contracts.
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| Pharma glass |
However, it is important to better understand why parenteral packaging is essential. Drugs are usually administered through the intravenous, intra ocular or the intradermal formats are referred to as parenteral drugs. These drugs are different from conventional oral as well as extra dermal drug intake. Parenteral drugs are used to cure disease including cancer, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other diseases. For these diseases, injectable are highly effective methods of administration. Therefore, Pilot Plants are testing the use of plastic as opposed to glass.
It is imperative to note that parenteral packaging is regarded as among the fastest growing pharmaceutical packaging formats. Therefore, the shift from pharma glass to plastic was not entirely a surprise. Parenteral package has a CAGR of 8-9% from 2014-19. The boost in demand is driven by lifestyle disease, ageing population in addition to increasing health awareness in countries like India and China. -
