CPhI Barcelona: TekniPlex Healthcare unveils “revolutionary” pharma filling and sealing machine

26 Oct 2023 --- TekniPlex Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare packaging solutions, is showcasing its Pentafill A25 Filling & Sealing Machine at the ongoing CPhI trade show in Barcelona, Spain (October 24-26), demonstrating a commitment to advancing pharmaceutical packaging technology.

The machine promises to “revolutionize” the filling and sealing of single-dose plastic vials for various applications, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, nutraceuticals and animal health. 

Bryan Wesselmann, vice president of sales and marketing at TekniPlex Healthcare, spoke to Packaging Insights on the show floor. “The A25 is the workhorse for most of our customer base. We’d like to see them all get to the A50 size, where they’re producing a ton of products, but the A25 is the one that hits the sweet spot for most of our customers,” he says.

The Pentafill A25 is a next-generation filling and sealing machine developed by TekniPlex Healthcare. It offers various advantages, primarily focusing on enhancing sterility and user-friendliness.

Notably, it eliminates the need for preheating with hot air, thus reducing the risk of product contamination. The absence of central machine support ensures an unobstructed laminar flow during the filling process. The Pentafill A25 has a production capacity of up to 25 five-vial strips per minute, making it versatile and suitable for various viscosities.

Wesselmann explains that the machine serves diverse industries, with a strong emphasis on pharmaceuticals. It is particularly well-suited for administering oral vaccines, such as the rotavirus vaccine in infants, offering a more convenient and efficient delivery method. Additionally, it finds applications in areas like eye drops, food supplements and cosmeceuticals.

The Pentafill A25 machine on display at CPhI.Barrier blister innovation
Alongside the Pentafill A25, TekniPlex Healthcare introduced the world’s first fully transparent recyclable mid-barrier blister package at CPhI Barcelona, aligning with the healthcare packaging industry’s growing environmental sustainability trend.

“We responded to patients and pharma companies and developed the world’s first recyclable mid-barrier blister,” says Wesselmann. 

“We also have a low-barrier blister, which we expect to be ready in about nine months. The mid-barrier, currently being tested by major pharma companies, will likely be commercially available for nutraceuticals in 18 months. For pharmaceutical customers, commercial availability is anticipated around 2025, following qualification processes.”

The recyclable mid-barrier blister packages by TekniPlex Healthcare are designed for regions with available PP recycling streams. They consist of polyolefin blister film paired with a barrier PP lidding film, marking a milestone in environmentally friendly healthcare packaging.

“The real winner will be the high-barrier recyclable blister pack, which is still in its development phase,” continues Wesselmann. “It has shown very promising results. So, once that’s available and depending on the needs of different medications, many of our major pharmaceutical customers will say, ‘yep, that’s the one we’re going to need’ because of the oxygen sensitivity.”

Preservative-free solutions
The company also showcased a fully recyclable polyester monomaterial blister + lidding combination suitable for products not requiring barrier protection. TekniPlex Healthcare’s commitment to innovation and sustainability was further underscored at the trade show by its Flexapharm SBC series of PVDC-coated PVC structures, offering “exceptional” oxygen and moisture barrier properties. Preservative-free eye drop packaging by TekniPlex.

The company also presented a range of Aclar laminates designed to preserve drug efficacy and shelf life under stringent environmental protection requirements.

Wesselmann points out, “PP tends to be the better material for preservative-free eye droppers, which are gaining popularity as patients and consumers seek safer, more convenient solutions.” 

“There’s a notable trend toward preservative-free multidose solutions. Several packaging companies offer eye droppers with a preservative-free functional end and tip, preventing contamination. For these, we’ve developed squeezable bottles that excel in softness and ease of use, where PP is the ideal choice.”

Wesselmann highlights TekniPlex Healthcare’s core focus on patient well-being, emphasizing the pursuit of better patient outcomes by enabling faster healing, reducing reliance on preservatives, minimizing discomfort and promoting minimally invasive approaches. 

TekniPlex Healthcare’s role in healthcare packaging extends beyond the pharmaceutical realm. Its portfolio encompasses medical tubing for various applications, including IV sets, infusion sets and minimally invasive tubing. Additionally, the company offers compounds for medical devices, addressing flexible and rigid PVC needs, and provides sub-assemblies for medical devices, functioning as a versatile contract manufacturing organization. 

Wesselmann underscores the company’s status as a material science company with a robust presence in pharmaceutical and medical technology events. 

“At the center of all those different things is our material science capabilities. We’ve got chemical engineers and polymer scientists that drive, based on the market’s need, a lot of the innovation. You’ll find us in all sorts of pharmaceutical shows, but also all sorts of medical and medical technology shows. This is just a small sampling of what we do today, but there’s much more at TekniPlex than meets the eye here at CPHI.”

By Radhika Sikaria, with Natalie Schwertheim reporting live from CPhI Barcelona