Drug therapeutical efficiency over time is a pivotal aspect to consider when producing therapeutics, as we were all able to witness during the recent COVID pandemic. How does this aspect affect the supply chain quality? What are the associated challenges? How did Bormioli Pharma cope with it?
Primary packaging is of fundamental importance to secure an effective delivery and administration of the therapeutic treatments. A recent Mc Kinsey study reported that almost 30% of treatment’s benefits are dissipated due to poor therapy adherence or non optimal usability during the self-administration, this is why we are always investigating and developing new solutions to address these vital needs. An innovative packaging solution we propose, that we will present at CPhI 2022 and that enhances performance in drug protection guaranteeing drugs’ therapeutical efficiency over time, is our cutting-edge range of plastic barrier bottles. This represents the next level in the packaging of pills and capsules, matching together the need for extra protection against oxygen, humidity and light and the claim for solutions easy to be implemented in the customers’ production lines.
Traceability of the pharma process and packaging connectivity are other aspects supported by Bormioli Pharma research and in fact, in 2021, the MediClicker project won the open Innovation & crowdsourcing Desall.com contest. Could you describe it in further detail? Does Bormioli Pharma have other projects like this in pipeline?
Innovation is a key pillar of our work. At CPhI we will present the evolution of MediClicker’s project, which is a simple and smart device designed to reduce the stress of taking medication and helping patients keep on top of their doses and pill stock. It threads directly onto existing pill containers and connects to an app via Bluetooth, which gives the user and carers access to a range of personalisation options and settings, and also has scope for integration with direct support to pharmaceutic and health experts.
Furthermore, we will present at CPhI other traceability solutions, including a new prototype consisting of a bottle and capsule, which involves the insertion of an NFC electronic card inside the capsule, this way allowing the system to be fully traced along the whole supply chain. In order to explain how the system works, we will show a demonstration app which will demonstrate how it is possible to safeguard data through the blockchain and it will work with our two Track&Trace prototypes, the new one and the one we presented in the last CPhI editions.
Up to 15% of global population experiences a form of disability. How is Bormioli approaching inclusiveness? How are you planning to meet the needs of people with disabilities?
Over 1 billion people around the world have some form of disability, but despite this, at the moment there is no common framework for inclusive product design. In the last years, also across the pharma industry an increasing focus on accessibility has arisen.
Bormioli Pharma is leading this process, through a wide commitment that is willing not only to develop accessible packaging solutions, but to really enhance people’s awareness on this topic. Particularly, uApt and uToo are two new solutions developed by the company that make pharma packaging more inclusive.
uApt is a bundled, all-in-one solution for administration of liquid oral drugs, specifically conceived to address requests of enhanced autonomy from people with disabilities. It features a bottle and a measuring cup, connected through a pump mechanism and a closing shell that can be activated by one-handed pressure on a wide, textured surface.
uToo, is a double-chamber element featuring a bottle and measuring cup, in which liquid exchange can be activated by pressing a larger, highly visible and colored button, allowing the administration of the drug with a single movement.
Covid-19 has taught us a very valuable lesson: professional users’ time is key when it comes to emergencies, and their protection is fundamental for their performances. Has Bormioli Pharma taken this issue into consideration? How did you minimize the risks of punctures and inhalation of chemical vapors?
Covid-19 pandemic brought several challenges and a very important aspect concerns the healthcare workers’ protection. Approximately 3 million of them throughout the world, experience a percutaneous injury each year as a result of accidents with needles or other sharps. That’s why Bormioli Pharma has developed new product concepts that want to simplify and make safer the operations of doctors and nurses, minimizing the risks of punctures and inhalation of chemical vapors.
For this purpose we developed Nexus, a new device conceived for single-dose injectable drugs, representing a breakthrough in usability, rethinking the traditional packaging concept adding new high-value functions.It allows an external connection with luer lock syringe systems and luer slip systems, avoiding the use of needles during the drug preparation and minimizing drug waste.
Sustainability is one of the most important concepts nowadays and has peaked with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. How has the company committed? What sustainability strategies do you deploy to have a responsible approach towards the environment? What are the goals within the next few years?
Sustainability is of course a very important pillar for Bormioli Pharma. We are conscious of the impact of our activities, consequently we make our solutions more sustainable, scouting for greener alternative materials, a new design and different productive processes.
A new range characterizes these solutions featured with a more responsible approach towards the environment is EcoPositive, which we will promote at CPHI. These products are already available on industrial scale and have been split consistently with 3 different sustainability strategies.
The first one is looking towards regeneration of raw materials, with glass and plastic packaging recycled from certified external waste collection. The second one gathers all the plastic solutions generated from renewable sources, such as bioplastics, biodegradable and compostable plastics. The third one is composed by solutions manufactured with infinitely reusable materials, such as glass and advanced polymer products, able to capture part of carbon emissions generated in the manufacturing phase.
To further support the transition towards more responsible packaging solutions, Bormioli Pharma set an ambitious goal in terms of sustainable raw materials used in production (50%), to be achieved by 2025. Bormioli Pharma is coming closer and closer to this goal year after year – in 2021, this share amounted to 32% compared to 16% in 2020.
