Flexible, trusted packaging solutions for the parenteral delivery of pain prevention drugs

Anaesthetics prevent the neural transmission of pain and are a routine element of many medical procedures. Local or regional anaesthetics are used to numb a small, specific area such as a tooth or an eye, or a larger area, as in the case of a spinals or epidurals, respectively. General anaesthetics and sedation, in contrast, hold the patient in a well-controlled unconscious state, notably for surgery and other procedures such as prolonged ventilation. A wide range of drugs have anaesthetic properties but one of the most commonly used for intravenous delivery is propofol. Prized for its effectiveness and minimal side effects, propofol is formulated as an emulsion and can be used either to induce or maintain an anaesthetised state.

Parenteral delivery is extremely common for anaesthetic drugs, accounting for ~90% of drug delivery by volume*. Slow injection enables rapid and effective numbing while infusion over a sustained period allows the well-controlled maintenance of anaesthesia during a procedure. Glass infusion bottles and injection vials are routinely selected for parenteral anaesthetic delivery and offer:

• Flexibility, different packaging solutions are available to match specific products and manufacturing processes
• Well-established technology for filling, sealing and labelling
• Clarity, to facilitate product inspection
• Maximum chemical stability, to safeguard product quality.

SGD Pharma offers a wide range of bottle and vials to meet requirements for parenteral anaesthetic drug delivery. Type II, soda-lime-silica glass with treated inner surfaces is a cost-efficient option where suitable; Type I products offer higher hydrolytic resistance for anaesthetics that require it. The quality of SGD Pharma glass is extremely high and the company continues to innovate to meet evolving requirements for specific anaesthetics with, for example, plasticised glass packaging.

* IQVIA MIDAS Actual 2018

Practical, ergonomic, sustainable packaging for animal health products

Vets, livestock farmers and companion pet owners rely on an increasingly sophisticated range of products to optimise animal health. These include vaccines, medicinal feed additives, anti-infectives, parasiticides and specialized medicines for the treatment of, for example, cardiac conditions.

The market for veterinary products for companion animals, including cats, dogs and horses, is driven by the increasing popularity of pet ownership and greater tolerance for potentially expensive therapies to treat the ailments of older age. For livestock - cattle, swine, poultry, ruminants and aquaculture – there is intense pressure to optimise the management of health to meet global requirements for more food from fewer resources. Reducing dependence on antibiotics is also an important goal, given well-documented issues around antibiotic resistance.

SGD Pharma offers a wide range of products for animal health applications including molded and tubular injection vials and a variety of infusion bottles tailored to the requirements of specific applications. Type II glass, soda-lime-silica or regular soda lime glass with inner surfaces treated with sulfur, is particularly suitable and offers:

• Good hydrolytic resistance
• Excellent compatibility and stability for acidic and neutral formulations.

Type I products are also available, for applications requiring higher hydrolytic resistance and greater resistance to thermal shock.

All glass packaging is associated with excellent sustainability, due to well-established options for re-use, recycling and disposal.

Flexible, high integrity, cost-effective packaging for drugs that fight bacterial infection

Antibiotics remain essential for fighting bacterial infections of all types despite widely reported issues over increasing microbial resistance. There are many different types, from penicillins, the most frequently prescribed option, to products such as carbapenems and polymyxins which are a last line of defence for patients fighting multi-drug resistant bacteria. The reduction of antibiotic use and appropriate prescribing practice have become major health care concerns due to the threat posed by antibioresistance.

Antibiotic consumption within the community is commonplace but these are also critical drugs for hospital care. Antibiotic formulations are delivered via a number of different routes with solid dosage forms accounting for just under 75% (by volume) of the oral antibiotic market. Dry suspensions, powders made up with water at the point of delivery, form a substantial majority of the liquid oral market. Parenteral, specifically intravenous, delivery is also routine, accounting for 60% of the overall antibiotic market, on the basis of volume. It allows more rapid, higher concentration drug delivery and the more effective treatment of difficult to reach targets such as spinal fluid or bone.

Glass packaging is a flexible, cost effective choice for antibiotic dry suspensions, for injectables and for infusion bottles that offers:

• Substantial choice with respect to volume and shape
• Clarity, for ease of inspection and accurate dosing
• Mature filling and sealing technology.

SGD Pharma provides a wide range of products for the antibiotic supply chain. This includes an extensive number of Type I and II solutions with the hydrolytic resistance required for infusion bottles and injectables. Bottles across the 15 to 200 ml range required for dry dispersions, with a filling mark for accurate dosing, are also available. Here, Type III, soda lime glass is often selected as a cost-effective option. Bottles for oral solid dosage forms complete the range for this market.

Ease of re-use (where applicable) and disposal are important attributes of glass packaging, particularly for non-parenteral products.

Amber glass dropping bottles in a range of sizes and designs to deliver essential oils in perfect condition

Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds for healing purposes and is used to treat a range of common illnesses, notably via self-medication. It is a significant branch of complementary medicine with a turnover in excess of €200M per year in France alone (2017 combined figure for pharmacies and drugstores)*. Popular essential oils include lavender, rose, tea tree, wintergreen, peppermint, Eucalyptus and mint with organic products taking a growing share of the market.

Essential oils are often simply blended with carriers for topical application or inhalation, but can also be formulated into more complex products such as pastilles, syrups and sprays. Common therapeutic areas include the treatment of colds, cough and respiratory illness, stress and relaxation, and muscle pain. Essential oils can be extremely costly, for example rose oil sells for in excess of €15,000 per litre*, and are typically packaged in amber bottles due to their high sensitivity to light. Glass packaging offers a range of attractive features for essential oils including:

• Flexibility, bottles are commercially available in a wide range of sizes and designs
• Good UV protection, amber glass is the ‘go to’ choice and is highly effective in preventing light-induced deterioration
• Sustainability, with options for easy disposal and recycling.

SGD Pharma’s comprehensive portfolio for aromatherapy products centers on molded, amber, Type III dropper bottles, a highly effective solution for essential oils, that preserves quality over an acceptable shelf-life and allows easy dispensing. Volumes ranging from 5 to 100 ml are available with a choice of neck finish types. The range also includes syrup bottles for formulated aromatherapy products.

* France AgriMer ‘La Vente de Plantes Médicinales en Pharmacie et Parapharmacie’ Années 2015 – 2016 – 2017 (Données OpenHealth Company) Janvier 2019

Secure, inert, high integrity packaging for the supply of valuable blood products

Blood transfusion is a routine and essential element of effective health care, but human blood is also processed to manufacture a wide range of extremely valuable derivatives. Labile blood components - plasma, platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells - may all be delivered as single donor products for direct transfusion; plasma derived medicines include polyvalent and specific immunoglobulins, albumin and blood coagulation factors. These may be used to treat diseases of the immune system, hemophilia, hepatitis, cirrhosis amongst many others. Increased awareness of blood and plasma donation, along with aging populations and an increased prevalence of life-threatening disorders such as hemophilia are driving growth in the use of blood plasma derivatives.

Blood derivatives are largely delivered parenterally. Key glass packaging products include injectable vials and infusion bottles with many blood plasma medicines supplied as liquids.

Critical features of glass packaging for this market include:

• Chemical stability, glass is inherently inert with barrier treatments further enhancing this characteristic
• Clarity, for ease of inspection during entire drug life cycle (from production to administration by a nurse)
• Excellent resistance to variations in temperature
• Mature filling and closing technology, high container closure integrity (CCI).

SGD Pharma offers a wide range of molded glass products directly specified to meet the demanding requirements of blood derivatives products and the fill and finish processes associated with their delivery. These products underpin our reputation and preferred supplier status with leading companies within this sector. Type II glass, soda-lime-silica or regular soda lime glass with inner surfaces treated with sulfur, offers a good balance between cost and performance for many blood and blood derivative applications. However, Type I glass is the preferences for others.

Reliable, flexible and convenient packaging for the parenteral delivery of cardiovascular drugs

Globally, an estimated 17.9 million lives are lost to cardiovascular diseases each year, making it the highest cause of death. Acute events such as heart attacks and strokes account for around 80% of this mortality*. However, cardiovascular therapies also target a range of chronic diseases including coronary (or ischaemic) heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (conditions that affect the blood supply to the brain) and rheumatic heart disease (a long term impact of rheumatic fever). 'Orally delivered drug therapies are a vital strategy for the management of long-term cardiovascular health and include aspirin, drugs for controlling blood pressure (beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and diuretics) and drugs that control metabolic state (statins and anti-diabetes drugs).

Acute events demand more immediate treatments and are typically addressed via parenteral delivery, by injection or infusion, enables the rapid release of drugs, directly into the bloodstream. Drug concentration can be closely controlled and any damage to the drug from metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract is avoided. This can be particularly important for biopharmaceuticals, which are increasingly being used to target cardiovascular diseases. In hospitals, emergency drugs (epinephrine, norepinephrine), anti-coagulants, antihypertensive agents and drugs to tackle arrhythmia are all routinely delivered by injection or infusion to ensure a fast response to life-threatening cardiovascular conditions. As a result, parenteral delivery accounts for around 16% by volume of this vital drug sector**.

Glass packaging is adopted for a wide range of parenteral cardiovascular therapies. The most chemically inert packaging material for most formulations, glass helps to safeguard the stability and quality of drugs, up to the point of delivery. This can be essential for achieving a commercially acceptable shelf life, particularly for biopharmaceutical formulations. Other important advantages of glass packaging include:

• Impermeability, particularly to O2 which can compromise drug stability
• Clarity, for ease of inspection
• Mechanical resistance, which can be especially valuable for certain manufacturing processes
• Mature technology, for filling, sealing and labelling.

SGD Pharma’s portfolio for parenteral drug delivery includes a wide range of Type I & Type II injectable vials and infusion bottles. Glass quality is exceptional and the product range continues to evolve, for example, with the introduction of solutions for Ready-to-Use/Ready-to-Fill.

* World Health Organization fact sheet: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). May 2017. Available to view at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases

** IQVIA MIDAS Actual 2018

Flexible, high integrity packaging solutions for exemplary product quality and shelf life

Food, or dietary, supplements are an increasingly important part of everyday life. They include vitamin, mineral, herb or other plant-based chemicals, enzymes and amino acids, and are used from youth through to old age, to maintain or augment health. The term nutraceutical is variously applied to a subset of food supplements, typically to highlight a product with proven health benefits beyond those associated with basic nutritional values. The growing use of food supplements is part of a trend towards self-medication, with around 77% of patients recently stating a wish to be involved in their health*. The increasing use of cannabidiol (CBD), a derivative from cannabis, is a major innovation within this industry with the number of CBD-based products soaring.

Food supplements and nutraceuticals are typically self-administered and consumed orally. Common product forms include droppers for tinctures, syrup bottles for functional beverages, tablet bottles for weight management. Degradation caused by exposure to UV radiation, an issue for some products, can be prevented through appropriate packaging selection. 'Since these products are not prescribed but rather directly purchased by consumers, ease of use and shelf appeal are key.

Glass packaging offers a number of key benefits for food supplements, including:

• A high level of chemical stability
• Excellent resistance to variability in temperature and humidity
• Optimum protection against degradation by UV light and O², which is particularly important for vitamins.

SGD Pharma’s extensive portfolio for food supplements helps manufacturers to maintain product integrity and extend shelf life. It includes an array of molded, amber, Type III glass solutions, notably dropper bottles, from 5 to 100 ml in volume, as routinely used for tinctures, the preferred form for over 53% of CBD Products**. Bottles for syrups and oral solid dosage forms with a choice of neck finish types are also available.

* Ipsos poll/2018.

** SGD Pharma internal estimation as of April 2020.

Easy to use, high resistance packaging solutions for the parenteral delivery of drugs that target the brain and central nervous system (CNS).

Therapies for the treatment of neurological and mental disorders are an important fraction of the pharmaceutical market. Such disorders include epilepsy, schizophrenia, stroke and brain trauma, depression, vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and their prevalence is significant. For example, epilepsy which is one of the most common neurological disorders affects around 50 million people globally*. Psychoanaleptics and psycholeptic, drugs that arouse or calm respectively, account for a substantial number of therapies for these disorders and growth in the use of biotherapeutics is an important trend. Cannabidiol (CBD)-based products have also proven effective, particularly for the treatment of epilepsy. Drugs with either neuro-protective and/or neuro-regenerative properties are vital for the treatment of both degenerative diseases and acute conditions such as trauma or stroke.

The brain and CNS are extremely well-protected and penetration of the barriers that maintain their microenvironment is a major challenge when it come to delivering drugs for neurological conditions and mental disorders. Raising systemic concentrations of the drug to relatively high levels is a common strategy**. Parenteral drug delivery enables the precise control of drug levels in the body and can be used for extended drug release products, or conversely, to achieve rapid drug delivery and action. It is particularly valuable for patients or conditions ill-suited to oral therapies. Around 20% by volume of drugs delivered parenterally are for the treatment of conditions associated with the brain and CNS***.

Glass packaging is routinely selected for high value drugs formulated for parenteral delivery because it is:

• the most chemically resistance material for many formulations
• highly impermeable, which can be critical for drug stability
• heat resistant, enhancing suitability for lyophilization and other forms of heat treatment
• when it comes, facilitating product inspection.

SGD Pharma offers a wide range of Type I & Type II glass packaging for drugs for neurological and mental disorders, notably injection vials and infusion bottles in a range of volumes. The portfolio includes high integrity solutions to maintain the shelf-life of biopharmaceutical drugs which can be extremely sensitive to extractables and leachables. Solutions for high viscosity formulations and for those with high pH are also available.

Follow the links to find out more about the products available:

* Who Health Organization fact sheets: Epilepsy. June 2019. Available to view at:

https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/epilepsy

** C.T. Lu ‘Current approaches to enhance CNS delivery of drugs across the brain barriers’ Int J Nanomedicine. 2014, 9 pp2241 – 2257. Available to view at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4026551/

*** IQVIA MIDAS Actual 2018

Superior, product-specific packaging solutions for the intravenous delivery of pain relief.

An essential element of routine healthcare, analgesics relieve pain by blocking signals from the nerves or distorting the interpretation of such signals by the central nervous system. Most fall into one of three classifications: narcotics or opioid pain relievers; non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or paracetamol (acetaminophen). Drugs in the two latter classification are widely used as the first line of defence for mild pain relief. Though typically supplied in oral solid dosage form, analgesic drug delivery via alternative routes is routinely essential, for example, post-operatively or for pain management in patients with compromised digestion. Beyond tablets paracetamol is available as a powder, solution, suspension or suppository and is often delivered by injection or infusion. Overall, around 20% of the analgesics market, by volume, is delivered by these latter two routes.

Glass packaging is particularly suitable for analgesics for injection or infusion, offering:

• High impermeability, notably to oxygen
• Clarity, for ease of product inspection
• Widespread acceptability and familiarity.

SGD Pharma is a leading supplier of 100 ml infusion bottles for pain relief therapies, specifically paracetamol, offering products uniquely specified to meet the demanding requirements of this application. High impermeability is critical in preserving the quality of the drug, which can deteriorate in the presence of trace levels of oxygen. More generally the portfolio includes a wide range of solutions for parenteral delivery (both by injection or infusion), in Type I and II glass. Dropper bottles in Type III glass, in the range 5 – 100 ml, are a cost-effective choice for oral analgesic delivery.