BFS Produces Pre-Filled Syringes at Reduced Cost

There is an upward trend in the use of pre-filled syringes and healthcare professionals recognise that pre-filled syringes are distinctly advantageous because of: lower overfill; increased patient compliance; reduced risk of contamination and dosage error; and reduced possibility of reuse and hence cross infection.

This task can be made simpler and safer if the solvent is packed and supplied in pre-filled syringes. Most of these syringes are supplied in nests or a matrix of a few tens up to hundreds of sterile ready to be filled syringes, which are associated to filling machines; each manufacturing step increases risk of contamination, not to mention the high cost of production.

Pre-filled syringes are not widely used in reconstituent applications, mainly due to their high cost. However, main solvents used for reconstituting lyophilised (freeze dried) product are sodium chloride (NaCl) and water for injection (WFI). At present, most of these solvents are packed and supplied in ampoules. A sterile syringe is then required to draw the solvent from the ampoule and mix it with the lyophilised drug contained in the vial for reconstitution.

An ageing population, the global financial meltdown and an increasing number of producers of generic drugs are all drivers for reducing production costs. A several-fold reduction in cost can be achieved if these pre-filled syringes are produced using blow-fill-seal (BFS) technology, which offers: reduced production steps; elimination of secondary packaging cost; tighter tolerance and reduced ovality; elimination of tungsten presence; and reduced silicon-related problems.

Brevetti Angela S.r.l., +39 0444 474200, info@brevettiangela.com, www.brevettiangela.com.