Gerresheimer Expands its RTF Sterile Syringe Range to Include High-Calibre Plastic Systems

The experts in the Gerresheimer competence centre Bünder Glas explain that the new COP systems are an extremely useful addition to the product range particularly for highly-sensitive medications and also for high-volume injections.

24/10/06 The Gerresheimer Group is expanding its RTF syringe range to include a line of high-calibre sterile syringes based on plastic. As now announced by the Group, the international market launch is to take place in the very near future - in January 2007. The RTF brand now also represents the latest technology for syringe systems in the field of plastic, says Burkhard Lingenberg, Director of Corporate PR and Marketing for the Gerresheimer Group.

The new systems are based on Cyclic Olefin Polymer (COP) – a glass-clear material distinguished by high mechanical and thermal stability, chemical neutrality and barrier qualities unique in the field of plastics. The experts in the Gerresheimer competence centre Bünder Glas explain that the new COP systems are an extremely useful addition to the product range particularly for highly-sensitive medications and also for high-volume injections. As the most important areas of use they cite freeze-dried medications - where the systems serve as so-called ‘depositary solution syringes’ – and the contrast materials which often have to be injected in large quantities in x-ray medicine. In addition to a Luer version for a volume of 1 to 5 millilitres, Gerresheimer offers a Luerlock version catering for contents of 5 to 20 millilitres.

Like the sterile all-glass syringes for which the Gerresheimer Group enjoys a worldwide reputation as the technological leader, the COP syringes under the RTF trademark will be supplied to the pharmaceutical industry in an immediately ready-to-fill form – i.e. completely sterilised, siliconised and preassembled. The plastic systems will be manufactured to Japanese quality standards by Taisei Kako (Osaka), a prestigious partner company of the Group, which will also distribute the COP syringes in the Japanese market. For all other regions of the world, Gerresheimer has entered into a licence agreement to secure the exclusive rights to this highly-refined plastic syringe category. For many years Gerresheimer has in the opposite direction supplied this cooperation partner with tailor-made glass bodies for sterile systems. Taisei finishes the sterile all-glass syringes to identical quality standards and very successfully supplies them to the Japanese pharma market.