West and Daikyo Seiko launch Ready Pack
The new system, an extension of West’s existing Ready Pack, is designed as a sterile, low extractability option for the storage of sensitive, low quantity biologics during the development process.
The technology comprises vials made from Daikyo’s Crystal Zenith cyclic olefin polymer resin which, the Tokyo firm claims, provides a break-resistant storage system that reduces the risk of particulate contamination.
West’s contribution is its NovaPure stopper and Flip-off seal technologies, both of which are designed with consistency in mind as West spokeswoman Carol Mooney explained.
“[The] system will help pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers mitigate risk by providing an inert container closure system that is processed with minimal variability to assure consistency as the drug scales up from development to clinical trials to commercialization.”
Bernie Lahendro, VP of Daikyo Crystal Zenith Products, stressed the benefits of the crystal zenith vials, suggesting that they “can help negate rejection issue from glass breakage and increase the overall quality and integrity of our customers’ container closure system.”
High tech packaging
While the launch fits with the general trend that has seen the launch a variety of biologics focused packaging technologies, most recently Schott, it is also in keeping with the growth of West’s high-tech packaging business.
For example, for the quarter finished March 31 West’s high-tech packaging unit contributed revenue of $198.9m and operating profit of $39.8m, up 13 and 38 per cent respectively on the year-earlier quarter.
At the time the US firm explained that on a technology specific, product’s incorporating its Teflon coating and FluroTec products, which include the NovaPure stopper range, had made the biggest contribution to earnings.
The Ready Pack launch suggests that West is keen to build on the gains made by its packaging arm so far this year and that it sees targeting the rapidly expanding biologics sector as the best way of driving such gains.
