Flexibility is the current “buzzword” in all areas of life. While everyone has a different understanding of this concept, it is definitely also finding its way into the pharmaceutical industry: patients want a better quality of life and more freedom of choice, and pharmaceutical manufacturers want to fulfill this wish with flexible equipment. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry is not immune to the current discussion evolving around sustainability. Self-medication is a good example of how these concepts can be implemented.

To the best possible extent, advanced medical devices like auto-injectors and pen systems give patients back what they desire most: their independency, which is especially important in times of crisis as we are currently experiencing with Covid-19. Auto-injectors are already the standard equipment when it comes to medical emergencies, such as the immediate treatment of an allergic shock.

Moreover, especially patients with chronic diseases like metabolic disorders or autoimmune diseases who require regular medication can benefit from the advances in both biopharmaceutical drug development and medical devices. Since multiple doses are needed over time for these therapies, it is easier for patients if they can self-administer the medication at home rather than having to attend several doctors’ appointments.

Pens and auto-injectors: a growing market
Not surprisingly, the market for auto-injectors is enjoying a period of rapid progress: according to Verified Market Research, it is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.2% from 2019 to 2026. Patent expirations are further opening the market to biosimilar versions, making medication more accessible to a larger patient population. Traditional self-injection devices, such as standard syringes, are frequently being replaced by technologically advanced auto-injectors and pen systems.

They not only help patients to improve their quality of life, pens and auto-injectors also increase patients’ adherence to their prescribed medication. What’s more, some patients who cannot use syringes due to impaired vision or dexterity can still use auto-injectors with ease. As a result of these developments, the demand for self-administrable drugs and the corresponding devices will rise even further over the coming years. At the same time, sophisticated equipment and line concepts enable pharmaceutical producers to meet the growing needs for solutions that are both flexible to manufacture and easy to administer.

Flexible assembly and packaging
Although many injector types have similar components, their design varies in terms of size, material and shape. Manufacturers require extremely flexible and at the same time standardized assembly platforms. This is by no means a contradiction. Machine manufacturers such as Syntegon have worked closely with customers to design the ideal mix of standardization and customization. The result: platforms such as the RDA, which are specifically configured to meet customers’ needs in terms of flexibility and capacity.

They can assemble all known types of auto-injectors, which makes them easily adaptable to current market requirements. Moreover, they are available in both a semi-automated and a fully automated version and feature a rapid, tool-free changeover and are easy to operate. For customers such as PCI Pharma Services, the RDA makes it possible to establish a flexible assembly process with a minimum of downtime between batches, which ultimately results in cost-effective and faster production and delivery.

Eco | Save | Pack: focus on sustainability
Once the pens or auto-injectors have been assembled, several process steps are required before the drug can be delivered to the patient. Here, the demand for more sustainable solutions comes into play. Besides the need for more self-control in the administration of drugs, patients and the world at large are demanding more sustainability from all industries. For younger people, the look and feel as well as the quality and sustainability of packaging material of food products have become more and more important—a demand which is also growing in the pharmaceutical industry, especially but not exclusively with younger patients.

While the majority of pens and auto-injectors will continue to be single-use devices for the obvious safety reasons, secondary packaging provides opportunities to answer the demand for resource-saving solutions. To date, pens and auto-injectors are often delivered in a combination of plastic trays or blisters, combined with folding cartons. Especially with secondary packaging, sustainability should come first, and paper packaging is the obvious choice. However, the inner lining of the secondary packaging solution is just as important—and can make a crucial difference to increasing sustainability in processes and/or packaging.

Sustainable and easy to handle
Recyclable materials made completely out of paper are a common market trend. Such tried and tested solutions already exist, as the example of Syntegon’s all-paper solution Eco | Save | Pack (ESP) shows. The side-loading, paper-based product inlay with a top-opening carton and glued sides protects fragile products against transport damages. A robot places the product in the inlay, where it is firmly fixed and protected. This chambered design makes sure that each pen or auto-injector is packaged in a separate chamber, thus securing it from dropping, impact and pressure during transportation and storage.

Both the carton and the inlay of the environmentally friendly secondary packaging for fragile containers consist of mono material paper. Its high-quality look and feel further adds to an appealing product presentation. Supplements such as patient information leaflets in form of pre-folded inserts, booklets or outserts can be inserted into the packaging. The single packaging material makes the usage of a plastic tray obsolete. Consequently, no thermoforming machine is required, which in turn offers more production space, reduces costs and energy consumption. Moreover, using recyclable packaging materials also means less waste.

For practitioners and patients, the ESP packaging is easy to handle and to open. There is no risk of getting injured at sharp edges. Removing the product from the inlay is ergonomic, while the inlay is held securely in the re-closable carton tray. The solution is available for both auto-injectors and pens in a single or multipack design.

Right through to the patient
Patients and their safety are the focus of drug manufacturers. Hence, they need more than a good assembly and secondary packaging system. They also need to make sure their products are safely packaged and reach the patient without being tampered with. When opting for an assembly and packaging line from Syntegon, pharmaceutical manufacturers not only receive the flexible assembly and cartoning equipment including sustainable packaging options. They also have access to serialization and aggregation solutions, as well as software solutions for data handling on the line or plant level to design a complete process from the pharmaceutical manufacturer to the patient. Especially regarding pens and auto-injectors, Syntegon has decades of experience to help establish the right process for each requirement.