SCHOTT invests in Swiss ready-to-use cartridge production
The St. Gallen, Switzerland site of SCHOTT will see a significant expansion in production capacity of ready-to-use (RTU) cartridges.
This drug containment and delivery solution is used to store and administer drugs with the help of pen injectors or wearable devices.
The company can deliver these cartridges washed, siliconized, crimped, and pre-sterilized in a nest/tub or tray configuration.
This allows pharma companies to start the drug filling process immediately without having to take care of washing, siliconization, or sterilization themselves.
“This investment is yet another step in adding manufacturing capacity for a product that simplifies self-medication and puts the patient’s needs first“, said Andreas Reisse, Executive Vice President of SCHOTT’s Pharma business unit. “Together with our partners, we are creating completely new possibilities in this area with the aim to improve global health for everyone.”
The expansion at the company’s site in St. Gallen, Switzerland is designed to include state-of-the-art cleanroom infrastructure, including washing line equipment supplied by machine vendor groninger, and is scheduled for completion in 2023.
The capacity expansion is designed to break ground for a new era of manufacturing with a glass-to-glass contact-free process.
This aims at eliminating possible scratches or other glass defects and contributes to a safe delivery of medications to patients.
In addition, the new in-house steam sterilization will feature an ultra-clean sterilization technology, thereby paving the way for a more sustainable manufacturing process.
“With these new technologies, we are reaching yet another milestone in our advanced production journey,” says Michael Feldhaus, Head of Technology of SCHOTT’s Pharma unit.
The production technology also includes an online crimp inspection system, ensuring container closure integrity (CCI).
This in return means that the cartridge system is effectively protecting the medication’s sterility and subsequently drug stability.
Image: SCHOTT delivers these cartridges washed, siliconized, crimped, and pre-sterilized in a nest/tub.
