Unusual Gerresheimer's closure system for pharmaceutical products
Increased safety - and in addition increased economy through the entire process chain: with these qualities an innovative closure system for pharmaceutical products totally convinced the jury for the 2007 German Packaging Award. This internationally prestigious prize was awarded to the new type of desiccant closures for tablet containers which Gerresheimer has developed under the Duma trademark.
Gerresheimer is the first company in the world to produce the multi-function plastic products completely in one connected process - together with the integrated desiccant elements. The result is regarded as a pioneering innovation: for the pharma industry it also facilitates fulfilment of the prescribed registration requirements.
Tablets and pills are highly sensitive to moisture. In high-quality tablet containers the desiccant elements which provide protection against the effects of moisture have for some time been incorporated directly in the closure.
Under the standards which have so far applied, however, the desiccant element which absorbs moisture was produced separately from the actual closure and incorporated only later as an outsourced component.
The pharmaceutical plastic experts in Gerresheimer`s plant in Vaerloese in Denmark disliked this circuitous approach not only for logistical but also economic reasons. - Our principle is to offer the pharma industry everything from a single source as far as possible - comments Burkhard Lingenberg, Director of Corporate PR and Marketing for the Gerresheimer Group. - This ingenious innovation once again demonstrates how important that is. It optimises a whole product category and simplifies procedures right through to the registration process.
Gerresheimer`s Plastic Packaging Division conceived a fully integrated production method which was met with open arms by the pharma industry.
At its plant in Vaerloese, Gerresheimer set up state-of-the-art clean-room production facilities which now manufacture the desiccant closures completely in one continuous process with fully automated control and monitoring. For the international tablet market this development is a so-far unique advance. In the view of experts it is likely to establish itself eventually as a new standard across a wide front. Efforts by individual competitors to copy the integrated concept have in the meantime become evident, they say.
Gerresheimer realises its closure concept in two patient-oriented variants which are also tamper-evident, namely the Duma Twist-Off Cap and the Duma HandyCap with a simple press-on action.
The concept convinced the German Packaging Award jury particularly because of the new safety dimensions thereby achieved, but also won points for economy, shortening of bureaucratic registration procedures and the exemplary quality of design for the filling process as well as for end users.
The German Packaging Award, for which applications are invited internationally, is seen as the "Oscar" for the industry and enjoys a high level of worldwide regard. This year the coveted award was made for the thirtieth time. The initiator and annual organiser is the German Packaging Institute, which in this way seeks - across all market segments - to nurture meaningful innovations and stimulate sophisticated developments in the industry. A total of around 300 participants in five categories competed for the 2007 trophy. The keenly awaited announcement was a highpoint at the start of the international FachPack trade fair.
This is not the first time that Gerresheimer as a pharma specialist has been crowned with success for innovative developments in high-calibre contests. Just last year its Rigid Needle Shield - providing protection of the needle and also protection against injury from syringes - first of all won the German Packaging Award and then, to crown it all, the WorldStar award of the World Packaging Organisation.
Gerresheimer is an internationally leading manufacturer of specialty products made of glass and plastic for the pharma & life science industry. The Group of companies manufactures in 40 plants in America, Europe and Asia and employs 10,800 people.