Pharmapack Europe announced the winners of the 2022 Pharmapack Awards spanning five categories in the Exhibitor Innovation Awards and a further two – open to the entire industry – in the Health Product Awards.
In a reflection of the high standard of this year's entries, the judges also awarded five High Commendations.
In the first of the five categories encompassing the Exhibitor Innovation Awards, Philips-Medisize received the Routes of Administration Award for its novel, reusable Aria Smart Autoinjector, which is designed to meet current and emerging needs of the self-injection market for biopharmaceuticals. Owen Mumford received a High Commendation in the same category for the versatility of its Aidaptus disposable auto-injector platform – a device that enables intuitive medication delivery for patients' self-treatment.
The Sustainability Initiative award winner was Körber Pharma Packaging Materials AG for its Pharmaceutical Grass Paper Packaging – made from renewable raw materials, this green innovation is 100 percent recyclable and can be disposed of like ordinary paper waste.
Ypsomed Delivery Systems was selected as winner in the Connected Devices & Wearables category for its YpsoMate On – the world’s first pre-filled auto-injector with integrated connectivity that automatically logs injections on the user’s therapy management app.
Moving on to the Supply Chain, Logistics & Distribution category, Avery Dennison was awarded for its Bluetooth Returnable Transport Item (RTI) Solution – the “IoT Pixel”, a battery-free, Bluetooth-enabled smart label that powers itself by harvesting RF energy.
The standard of entries in the Packaging Innovation category was particularly high and the judges felt it was necessary to announce not only a winner, in Activated Rispharm, a collaborative effort from Berry Global and Pylote, but also, two High Commendations for Pacifi's DuoDERM and Eurpack Giustini Sacchetti Srl's BiKit. Activated Rispharm is a multi-dose eye dropper with a nozzle and cap that are activated to kill bacteria and viruses, thereby continuously delivering hygienic doses and reducing infection risks.
For the Health Product Awards, Pharmapack Europe recognises excellence in two categories: Patient-Centric Design and Eco-Design. In the former category, Ascendis Pharma A/S was bestowed as the winner with its SKYTROFA Auto-Injector, while AAZ-LMB received a High Commendation for its Autotest COVID-VIRO ALL IN.
The innovative SKYTROFA Auto-Injector, with its precise mixing and automated injection, removes the need to dial in doses as it comes in ready-to-use, color-coded cartridges for the prescribed therapy.
Finally, Sanofi Aventis scooped the Eco-Design Award for its TouStar reusable insulin pens, which feature a dedicated cartridge intended to mitigate the risk of mismatching. In this category, the jury also awarded Pierre Fabre a High Commendation for its Eludril range of oral care products.
“Given the fact that the 2021 edition of Pharmapack Europe was only held in October last year, we honestly were not sure how many entries to expect for this year’s Awards. The industry surprised us however with so many high quality entries, which are indicative of our community continuing to strive for innovation, despite ongoing challenges. This year, in addition to the seven winners, we have commended a further 5 entries – which is a record level of quality for the Pharmapack Awards," Tara Dougal, content director for Pharmapack Europe.
Tara added: "What’s so inspiring is that all entries are making step change improvements across all aspects of drug delivery and packaging from patient centricity and digital adoption to supply chain logistics and sustainability. We offer huge congratulations to not only our winners, but all who entered this year’s awards."