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ACG’s SuperPod | Created in Canva - SuperPod image courtesy of ACG Packaging Materials

, ACG Packing is unveiling the SuperPod™, its newest innovation in cold-form blister technology. According to an ACG press release, this new packaging design will drastically reduce cavity size, which reduces the strain on production resources and manufacturing costs (1).

The physical limitations of cold-form aluminum have historically dictated the size and cost of pharmaceutical packaging. Because standard aluminum foils are susceptible to rupture when drawn too deeply, manufacturers have been forced to utilize large cavities that increase the overall packaging footprint (1). These oversized blisters subsequently demand more warehouse space, increase material consumption, and elevate logistics costs throughout the supply chain. The SuperPod is designed to optimize the balance between material performance and operational efficiency (1).

How does enhanced draw capability impact manufacturing efficiency and sustainability?

The technical foundation of this development is a multi-layer laminate designed for superior cold-drawing (1). By allowing for deep-draw cavity formation without compromising the protective barrier of the aluminum, the technology can reduce cavity sizes by up to 39% in specific applications. A well-engineered format can increase the number of blisters produced per shot by as much as three times, effectively freeing up existing manufacturing capacity and lowering per-unit costs (1). These reductions in material and resource usage per dosage contribute to a smaller environmental footprint across the product lifecycle.

Why is this innovation particularly relevant for moisture-sensitive and high-count dosage forms?

The ability to minimize cavity dimensions and spacing has direct implications for drug stability and protection. Dr. Akbar Ali, GM and head of Development and Technology at ACG Packaging Materials, stated in an ACG press release, “We’re excited to debut SuperPod™ at Pharmapack 2026. The technology effectively makes cold-form blisters lighter by reducing material usage per dosage. We see significant opportunities, particularly for high-count formats such as 20-count vitamins and B-complex capsules, where traditional cold-form blisters become impractically large. It also performs exceptionally well for moisture-sensitive and oncology products, where reduced headspace and narrower cavity spacing help minimize gas and moisture exposure, offering enhanced protection. SuperPod™ has already undergone testing with major pharmaceutical manufacturers on high-speed blister lines, demonstrating performance comparable to standard cold-form materials, but with far greater forming capability” (1).

Maintaining seamless runnability on high-speed packaging lines is essential for operational stability. This material is designed to work with existing equipment and is available with both polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and halogen-free sealing layers (1). The flexibility to use PVC or more sustainable alternatives allows manufacturers to adapt to evolving environmental requirements, according to ACG. In an ACG press release, Jochen Scheil, VP of Global Sales and Business Development, added, “The launch of SuperPod™ encourages the industry to rethink decades-old design conventions and embrace smaller, smarter, and more sustainable blister formats. Digital tools such as Quick Response (QR) codes and electronic leaflets further support this transition by reducing reliance on large blister surface areas for printed information” (1). By utilizing QR codes, manufacturers can maintain information density while further reducing the physical size of the blister card. This technology is part of a broader shift at ACG toward sustainable oral dosage solutions, which includes such products as RecycloPod™, created with recycle-ready mono-materials.

What other innovations is ACG pushing forward?

To address challenges involving moisture protection with highly sensitive molecules, ACG introduced the DryPod™ in 2025 (2). Unlike traditional co-extruded structures, materials used in the DryPod are engineered using a proprietary lamination-based approach. This technical shift allows the laminate to function consistently across all standard blister-forming technologies, eliminating the need for specialized equipment retrofits or costly process modifications (2). This means the material can be integrated into existing blister lines with minimal disruption. Furthermore, the laminate is compatible with any polyethylene-sealable lidding foil, which enhances procurement flexibility and supports supply chain agility across global operations.

ACG Packaging Materials Launches SuperPod™ Setting a New Benchmark for Cold-form Blister Design

ACG launches DryPod™ – A Breakthrough Desiccant-Based Cold-Form Laminate Delivering Superior Protection for Moisture-Sensitive Pharmaceutical Blisters at PMEC 2025

Articles

ACG Packing has introduced the SuperPod™, a cold-form blister technology that reduces cavity size, optimizing material use and manufacturing efficiency. This innovation addresses the limitations of traditional cold-form aluminum, which required larger cavities, increasing costs and environmental impact. The SuperPod™ allows for deeper cavity formation without compromising protection, reducing material usage by up to 39% and enhancing sustainability. It is particularly beneficial for moisture-sensitive and high-count dosage forms. The technology is compatible with existing equipment and supports sustainable practices, including the use of QR codes for information dissemination.

ACG’s new SuperPod reduces blister size and boosts efficiency and sustainability for moisture-sensitive drug products.

ACG Introduces SuperPod for Drug Protection and Sustainability

Pharmapack Europe 2026: Geopolitical Impacts on Pharmaceutical Packaging

Current geopolitical rhetoric, particularly from the United States, is driving a shift in how manufacturers approach partnerships and supply chain planning. Instead of seeking global "optimal" capabilities, companies are increasingly focusing on North American and European regional support, according to 

 in this part 2 of a 2-part interview (check out 

part 1 on sustainability, specialization, and digitalization in packaging

). While the full material impact of these shifts may take years to realize, manufacturers are already announcing significant investments in US physical footprints to increase capacity. These changes are often capacity-driven, reflecting a strategic move to support regional capabilities rather than a purely political reaction.

How are strategic packaging and waste reduction enhancing pharma manufacturing?

As the industry looks toward 2026, the role of the expert packaging partner is becoming more vital, especially for innovative biotech companies that lack extensive internal manufacturing networks. Packaging is the critical final step before distribution; specialized expertise in this area helps to control fulfillment lead times and delivery schedules, reduce financial risks associated with tied-up capital in stock, and minimize product wastage, ensuring more medicine reaches patients.

Sustainability is also a primary focus for the future, moving beyond eco-friendly materials to encompass the efficient use and control of the drug products themselves.

Industry leaders are currently utilizing forums like Pharmapack Europe to showcase global platforms that support both oral solid doses and injectables across the US and Europe. These efforts are bolstered by new facility build-outs in the US, signaling a commitment to maintaining a robust, multi-regional presence. This evolution reflects a growing consciousness regarding how and where packaging occurs to ensure long-term supply chain reliability and availability for patients.

Tjoapack, booth 4D118, will be highlighting its packaging solutions at 

, which is being held in Paris on January 21 and 22.

Editor's note: This transcript is a lightly edited rendering of the original audio/video content. It may contain errors, informal language, or omissions as spoken in the original recording.

Has the geopolitical atmosphere for the past few years impacted how contract manufacturers are approaching partnerships or investments?

Yes, definitely. You know, as far as real, true impact of, you know, predominantly the rhetoric coming out of the US government, of what real, material impact that has on, sort of the supply chain, of the pharmaceutical sector. I think that's still really to be seen. You know, these changes take years, so I don't think we have seen where things are going yet, but certainly the conversation has shifted quite a lot. Where before we, you know, we're looking at, okay, what sort of capabilities are more optimal for a type of product, and where do we have that, either in Europe or the United States. It's more regional conversation. You know, how can, how can we have a North American supply chain? How can, you know, how can you guys at your park support you know that capability regionally and vice versa in Europe, so that that certainly has shifted, you know, conversations we have with customers and how they're approaching supply chain planning in terms of investments. Well, I mean lots of big announcements of obviously, investments in the United States in terms of physical footprint. US among them, I'd say ours is more capacity driven, rather really geopolitical. It's not a geopolitical decision. But, yeah, I think the real impact of that is still very much years in the future, you know, and let's see what actually comes of those five years down, down the road. Great. Okay, last

What do you anticipate for 2026 and beyond? For pharma packaging?

I think that you know, the trend for the more niche service provider, you know, like ourselves, and particularly being at this sort of end of the pharmaceutical manufacturing chain. You know, packaging is sort of the final step before distribution, of course, in the importance of a real expert player. Well, I mean, I'm tooting our own horn, of course, so somewhat bias and biased opinion, but we see a real value for certain type of customers or. Albeit more certainly the biotech and more innovative type companies that may not have expanded manufacturing supply chain networks and teams that can support them, the benefits of having a real expertise on this final assembly piece before distribution can make a lot of difference in controlling waste in your supply chain, controlling delivery times and fulfillment lead times. You know, the activity of packaging is obviously not the most complicated or the most scientific, but when you do it and where you do it, and how can have, you know, big financial as well as reliability of your supply chain impacts overall, which then obviously impacts availability of product to patient or impact what sort of stock you keep, and that ties up money, as Well as increases risk for wastages, etc. So having, you know, we see people be more conscious about it, and that, I think, will continue, you know, along the trends of sustainability, it's not just about materials that are sustainable. It's also how you use them and control and minimize waste for packaging materials, but also, obviously the drug product itself, that most of it will go to patients rather than, you know, good chunk of it in the bin.

What are you looking forward to at pharma pack Europe this year? Is there anything that that you guys are going to be highlighting?

Well, it's first time, a couple of years that we're actually exhibiting at Pharmapack again. So we're excited to be back, excited to kick off the year and meet you know, old friends and new hopefully. You know, we want to continue highlight our platform. You know, we spend a lot of money in building our global platform to support, you know, drug drug supply chains in Europe, in the United States. So we want to continue highlight, you know, our capabilities across oral, solar, dose and injectable products. Of course, we'll be talking about our new investments in the United States and our build out of our facility there, but that's sort of a, you know, part of the whole.

Videos

PharmTech spoke with Dexter Tjoa, CEO of Tjoapack, about how outside pressures are influencing supply chain and packaging decisions.

Datwyler Collaboration | Created with Canva

Datwyler, LTS Device Technologies, and Stevanato Group have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at expanding the capabilities of large-volume subcutaneous drug delivery and enabling convenient on-body administration of higher-dose therapies, according to a Datwyler press release (1). The companies plan to unveil their integrated platform solution at the Pharmapack Europe conference, taking place in Paris Jan. 21–22.

The collaboration comes at a time when the pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a significant shift from small-molecule drugs to complex biologics. As development pipelines increasingly focus on monoclonal antibodies and oncology treatments, manufacturers face growing challenges in delivering sensitive, high-dose therapeutics. Many of these therapies require volumes that exceed the 2 mL limit of conventional subcutaneous injections, driving demand for delivery systems capable of safely and effectively administering volumes of up to 20 mL while maintaining patient comfort, therapeutic efficacy, and regulatory compliance (1).

Drivers behind the shift to large-volume subcutaneous delivery

Clinical requirements and patient expectations are accelerating interest in large-volume subcutaneous administration. As healthcare systems move toward decentralized models of care, patients increasingly favor treatments that can be self-administered outside of clinical settings as evidenced by a Mayo Clinic study. It was found that 73% of patients preferred in-home self-administration after 24 weeks of treatment. The finding underscores a strong preference for convenience and autonomy in long-term therapy management (2).

This trend is reinforced by advances in device and component technologies that make home-based delivery more feasible for high-dose biologics. In a Datwyler press release, Paolo Ferrigno, Product Manager for Datwyler, states that, "by enabling patients to self-administer therapies at home, subcutaneous drug administration facilitates a growing shift towards more accessible personalized healthcare. Datwyler’s spray coated NeoFlex™ plungers increase the functional reliability of large volume injection systems and promote greater comfort and safety for the patients” (1). Such component-level innovations are critical for addressing the mechanical and functional demands associated with higher injection volumes.

In spite of growing demand, the transition to large-volume subcutaneous delivery has historically been constrained by technical challenges, including managing absorption kinetics, ensuring tissue tolerability, and designing delivery systems capable of controlled administration without compromising patient experience according to Datwyler. Developing bespoke solutions to address these variables can be resource-intensive and difficult to align with the compressed timelines of competitive drug development programs. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly seeking standardized, pre-verified platform solutions that reduce development risk and accelerate time to market.

The role of pre-verified platforms in streamlining development

The partnership brings together complementary expertise in elastomer components, drug containment systems, and wearable delivery devices to support cartridges ranging from 10 mL to 20 mL (1). For pharmaceutical companies, the use of ready-to-use, pre-qualified components can significantly reduce the complexity associated with container closure system development and validation.

Riccardo Marcon, SVP of Sales and Marketing of Drug Containment Solutions at Stevanato Group, emphasizes the importance of integrated solutions, stating in the press release, "There is a pressing market need for innovative solutions to support larger volumes of up to 20mL in a self-administered setting while strictly maintaining safety, therapeutic efficacy, and patient compliance. For pharma companies, EZ-fill® Large Volume Cartridges have been the ideal solution to reduce their complex operations for more than a decade. Our market-leading ready-to-use, EZ-fill® containers are supplied pre-washed, pre-siliconized, pre-assembled with front stoppers, packed in Nest & Tub and pre-sterilized” (1).

The collaboration leverages Stevanato Group’s ready-to-use large-volume cartridges in combination with Datwyler’s NeoFlex™ plungers, which are engineered to support the slow, controlled injection profiles required for high-volume subcutaneous delivery (1). These components are integrated with the Sorrel wearable delivery platform from LTS Device Technologies, enabling on-body administration that aligns with patient preferences for discreet, home-based treatment.

The significance of this collaboration lies in its potential to reduce development timelines, de-risk regulatory pathways, and support scalable commercialization of large-volume biologics. By offering a pre-verified, end-to-end platform, the three companies aim to address persistent technical barriers while aligning with market demands for patient-centric delivery models.

The technical and strategic rationale behind the partnership will be explored in greater detail during a Learning Lab session titled "When Size Matters: The Evolution of Self-Delivery Solutions for Subcutaneous Administration," presented by experts from all three companies at Pharmapack Europe. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the collaborators to discuss end-to-end support for large-volume drug delivery programs and the implications for future biologics development.

Datwyler, LTS Device Technologies, and Stevanato Group Collaborate to Expand Self-Delivery Options for Large-Volume Drugs

Is home-based treatment the future of cancer care?

A strategic collaboration between Datwyler, LTS Device Technologies, and Stevanato Group aims to enhance large-volume subcutaneous drug delivery, addressing the shift towards complex biologics. This partnership focuses on developing integrated platform solutions for administering higher-dose therapies, meeting the growing demand for self-administered treatments outside clinical settings. The collaboration leverages pre-verified components to streamline development, reduce regulatory risks, and support scalable commercialization. The initiative aligns with patient preferences for home-based care and addresses technical challenges associated with high-volume subcutaneous administration.

The three firms offer a pre-verified platform for large-volume subcutaneous delivery of biologics to enable home self-administration.

Datwyler Collabs with Stevanato and LTS to Advance Home-based Biologics

Light Bulb with green plant form lines, triangles and particle style design. Illustration vector | Image Credit: ©

The Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) announced on Jan. 20, 2026 that it will be hosting a half-day sustainable packaging workshop on January 21 at the 2026 

, which is being held in Paris on January 21 and 22 (1). The session will explore pharmaceutical packaging challenges including environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance.

The workshop, “PDA Innovation in Sustainable Packaging Workshop 2026”, is limited to 30 attendees and is open exclusively to Pharmapack pass holders, The session will feature content from AM Instruments, Alliance to Zero, and Inductio AG. The session will explore ecodesign for pharmaceutical devices in the following three areas:

A concluding session sharing outcomes and practical insights.

According to PDA, by attending, attendees will gain strategies and peer-driven insights to support their packaging innovation efforts, sustainably.

“Collaboration and cross-industry engagement are essential as the pharmaceutical sector advances toward more sustainable practices,” said Falk Klar, Vice President of PDA Europe, in a press release (1). “This workshop is designed to equip attendees with actionable knowledge and spark new partnerships.”

“Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have, it's an industry imperative,” said Silvia Forroova, Group Director, Pharma, at Informa Markets, in the press release (1). “We’re proud to collaborate with PDA to spotlight the practical steps pharmaceutical companies can take today to align with both regulatory expectations and environmental responsibilities. This workshop adds real value to Pharmapack Europe’s educational agenda by bridging innovation with implementation.”

What are some trends in sustainable packaging?

coverage of Pharmapack Europe, the editors spoke with 

, about trends that happened in 2025, including sustainability efforts, that have impacted the industry (2).

According to Tjoa, sustainability efforts based on the packaging's proximity to the drug product, reflect a pragmatic approach, and components that directly touch the drug remain a concern when it comes to quality. Manufacturers are prioritizing the stability and integrity of the formulation over environmental metrics. The use of sustainable materials for primary packaging is not the industry standard as of yet, says Tjoa, and an aggressive approach is applied to the outer materials. These materials should be sustainably sourced or possess fully recyclable origins (2).

On January 19, West Pharmaceutical Services announced (3) it would be showcasing its West Synchrony S1 prefillable syringe (PFS) system, which the company says provides a portfolio that includes 1 mL long and 2.25 mL staked needle options for biologics and 1 mL standard staked needle and Luer lock options for vaccines. Options available with the staked needle system feature a rigid or soft needle shield, and Luer lock system options have an integrated tip cap.

“As a market leader, West closely monitors shifts in the global drug pipeline by emerging companies, particularly the growing demand for combination products alongside the movement of care from hospital to home, both of which introduce new complexity into regulatory and development processes,” Stacey Vaughan, vice president, Marketing and Portfolio Management at West, noted in a press release (3). “This surge of innovation across the industry further highlights why now is the right time to introduce West Synchrony S1 prefillable syringe system.”

Pharmapack Europe. Parenteral Drug Association to Host Innovation in Sustainable Packaging Workshop at Pharmapack 2026. Press Release. Jan. 20, 2026.

Haigney, S. Pharmapack Europe 2026: Sustainability, Specialization, and Digitalization in Packaging. PharmTech.com. Jan. 20, 2026. 

https://www.pharmtech.com/view/pharmapack-europe-2026-sustainability-specialization-and-digitalization-in-packaging

West Synchrony S1 Prefillable Syringe System Commercially Available at Pharmapack

The Parenteral Drug Association is hosting a workshop on sustainable packaging at the 2026 Pharmapack Europe conference in Paris. The session will address challenges in pharmaceutical packaging, focusing on environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance. Attendees will gain insights into ecodesign through case studies, discussions, and practical sessions. Industry leaders emphasize the importance of sustainability as a critical industry imperative. Additionally, trends in sustainable packaging highlight the prioritization of drug stability over environmental metrics, with a focus on sustainable outer materials. West Pharmaceutical Services will showcase its new prefillable syringe system at the event.

The half-day workshop will explore regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability.

PDA Hosts Sustainable Packaging Workshop at Pharmapack Europe

Pharmapack Europe 2026: Sustainability, Specialization, and Digitalization in Packaging

In 2025, the pharmaceutical packaging sector a move toward specialization and a pragmatic approach to material innovation. These trends highlight a landscape where technical barrier requirements and the rise of biologics dictated packaging evolution more than radical changes in material science, according to 

“People are looking for more expertise, rather than a one-stop-shop solution. It is an important distinction for a company like ourselves that is, for all intensive purpose, a fairly niche service provider,” Tjoa explains. “In terms of packaging, we see the same formats being burgeoning like the previous years, lots of biological products coming online and biosimilar so, in terms of surface growth for us, a lot of vials and syringes and things like that.”

As more biological products and biosimilars come online, there has been a significant surge in the production of vials and syringes . While these formats are not necessarily innovative in a drug-delivery sense, their proliferation underscores the industry's focus on supporting the increasing pipeline of sensitive biological therapies.

Sustainability: quality vs. eco-friendly materials

Sustainability efforts are currently bifurcated based on the packaging's proximity to the drug product, reflecting a highly pragmatic approach . For components that directly touch the drug, product quality and barrier properties remain the paramount concern, according to Tjoa. Manufacturers continue to prioritize the stability and integrity of the formulation over environmental metrics. Consequently, the adoption of sustainable materials for primary packaging remains in its nascent stages and is not yet the industry standard.

A more aggressive approach is applied to outer materials, such as cardboard. Manufacturers are increasingly keen on ensuring these materials are sustainably sourced or possess fully recyclable origins.

What are the impacts of innovation and digitalization?

Current innovation in pharmaceutical packaging is manifesting in how packaging is utilized rather than the development of entirely new material types. There is a growing trend toward integrating digital components into the packaging design to maximize "real estate", such as digital information leaflets, which are partially driven by legislation. Companies are utilizing QR codes and barcodes to provide digital patient information leaflets. Beyond regulatory compliance, pharmaceutical companies are using these digital tools to offer more sophisticated and varied information to physicians and pharmacists.

Were there any standout trends that you saw in 2025 for pharmaceutical packaging, either for primary or secondary packaging of solid dosage or even large molecule drugs?

Well, in 2025 it was really a continuation of the previous year's trends, you know, as for us as an organization, I think our you know, our right to exist, is sort of reinforced by the general trends in the market for more specialized drugs and medication. People are looking for more expertise, rather than, you know, one stop shop solution. So to say, you know, in that that's a little bit, you know, general across, of course, the you know, industry, rather than packaging specific, but it is an important distinction for a company like ourselves, that is, you know, for all intensive purpose, a fairly niche service provider. You know, in terms of packaging, we see the same formats being burgeoning like the previous years, lots of biological products coming online and biosimilar so, you know, in terms of surface growth for us, a lot of vials and syringes and things like that. Not necessarily innovative in the sort of drug delivery sense, but certainly continuation of the rise of biologic products.

How has sustainability efforts impacted the choice in materials for pharmaceutical packaging?

I think lots of companies are looking for so pragmatic approaches in what suppliers are able to offer them. You know, certainly on the let's say the outer packaging, so the cardboard side of things, usually people are definitely keen on making sure that things are sustainably sourced, at the very least, if not part recyclable, fully recyclable origins. But I would say it's, you know, it's pretty much a pragmatic approach first, you know, the, you know, if you look at sort of primary packaging components and materials that touch the product quality and the barrier properties definitely still take priority over you know, if they're sustainable or not. So to say I. Um, but the interest continues to be high, you know, I think in that sense, you know, certainly on primary materials, it's still pretty nascent in terms of, you know, pick up within the industry. It's definitely not the standard yet. But, yeah, interest among it continues to be be high. Behind.

Are you seeing innovations in the materials used in pharma packaging, either for primary or secondary packaging?

Well, on the materials, like the type of materials, I'd say, not really. You know that continues to be by nor minority majorities to the same choices as before, I think, where people are trying to differentiate themselves, or how the packaging is used. You know, what type of information is displayed. We seeing some companies take up more. More real estate for bar coding in QR coding for digital information. So the digital component of the packaging, that's, you know, kind of pre part, driven by legislation, of course, you know, but with digital information, inpatient information leaflets, but also from the pharmaceutical companies themselves, who want to provide, you know, better or more different type of information To particularly physicians or, you know, pharmacist, I think, okay.

PharmTech spoke with Dexter Tjoa, CEO of Tjoapack, about the past year and which trends might influence 2026 packaging decisions.

The global commercial availability of the West Pharmaceutical Services' Synchrony S1 prefillable syringe (PFS) system, planned to coincide with the Pharmapack 2026 conference in Paris, Jan 21-22, marks a significant development for specialists in drug delivery and containment. The introduction of this system reflects a strategic alignment with current shifts in the global drug pipeline, particularly regarding the increasing complexity of combination products.

Why is a shift in patient care driving new containment requirements?

The transition of medical treatment from clinical settings to the home environment has created new challenges for drug developers and manufacturers. Stacey Vaughan, VP, Marketing and Portfolio Management at West, commented in a press release, “as a market leader, West closely monitors shifts in the global drug pipeline by emerging companies, particularly the growing demand for combination products alongside the movement of care from hospital to home, both of which introduce new complexity into regulatory and development processes.” She added that “this surge of innovation across the industry further highlights why now is the right time to introduce West Synchrony S1 prefillable syringe system” (1).

The Synchrony S1 PFS system includes a broad product portfolio designed for specific therapeutic needs. For biologics, the system offers 1 ml long and 2.25 ml staked needle options (1). Vaccine developers can utilize 1 ml standard staked needle and Luer lock options. The inclusion of both rigid and soft needle shields for staked needle systems, integrated tip caps for Luer lock systems, and the use of high-performance NovaPure and FluroTec barrier film plungers supports manufacturing and assembly flexibility.

How can integrated delivery systems streamline the path through clinical trials?

The primary benefit of these integrated systems is the potential to simplify the supply chain and regulatory hurdles associated with clinical development, according to West (1).. Educational sessions at the Pharmapack event will emphasize the importance of moving away from piecemeal component sourcing toward integrated, verified prefillable syringe systems from a single source (1). This approach is most relevant when steering combination products through clinical trials.

A supplier’s ability to support these developments is often linked to their manufacturing scale and global presence. With 25 manufacturing facilities worldwide and an annual delivery of more than 41 billion components and devices, the provider’s infrastructure is designed to support both established and emerging drug developers in ensuring safe and effective delivery (1).

What other innovations are being shown at Pharmapack 2026?

A significant development in solid oral dosage packaging is the use of polypropylene (PP)-based mono-materials, such as the 

 which the company plans to highlight at Pharmapack (2). These materials allow manufacturers to address toxicological and environmental concerns while maintaining critical performance metrics, including a water vapor barrier and "outstanding push-through performance". These solutions are designed for processability on standard packaging machinery. They reduce the need for line re-tooling, allowing scientists to reduce a product's carbon footprint without sacrificing stability or regulatory compliance.

How can streamlined procurement improve supply chain agility?

Beyond primary packaging, the industry requires agility in the procurement of components for sterile medical devices and diagnostic products. The introduction of services like MedHub reflects a focus on the industry's need for "minimal effort and reliable delivery" of pre-made bags and pouches (2). These solutions support the assembly of surgical kits and the protection of glass vials or syringes, ensuring they remain sterile prior to filling. By utilizing standardized clean room manufacturing and verified high-barrier films, clinicians can better manage the sterility and stability of the entire process chain.

West Synchrony™ S1 Prefillable Syringe System Commercially Available at Pharmapack

A Strong Partner to the Healthcare Industry: SÜDPACK Medica at PharmaPack 2026 in Paris

The global launch of West Pharmaceutical Services' Synchrony S1 prefillable syringe system at Pharmapack 2026 signifies a pivotal advancement in drug delivery and containment, aligning with the evolving complexity of combination products. The shift from hospital to home care necessitates new containment solutions, driving innovation in integrated delivery systems that streamline clinical trials by simplifying supply chains and regulatory processes. Additionally, innovations in solid oral dosage packaging and procurement services enhance supply chain agility, addressing environmental concerns and ensuring sterility and stability in medical device components.

West has launched Synchrony S1, a prefillable syringe system to simplify biologic delivery and combination product needs.

West Launches New Prefillable Syringe System that Streamlines Biologic Delivery

Selective focus on blue-white capsule pills in blister pack. Pharmaceutical industry. Drug package. Pharmaceutics concept. Drug use in hospital or drugstore product. Health budget. Global healthcare. | Image Credit: ©

 which is being held in Paris on January 21–22, 

 (Booth 4F12) will showcase a portfolio designed to address sterility and sustainability requirements, headlined by the expansion of the company’s PharmaGuard recyclable blister concept and the launch of the MedHub service (1).

How is mono-material blister technology being advanced?

According to the company, SÜDPACK Medica’s PharmaGuard represents a significant shift away from traditional multi-layer composites that complicate recycling streams (1). Originally known for its award-winning transparent film, the line has expanded to include a white blister film. This new iteration offers high opacity and improved legibility for printed dosage information, which is critical for patient safety and regulatory compliance.

From a technical perspective, the PharmaGuard solution is a polypropylene (PP)-based mono-material. It is engineered to be free from phthalates, vinyl, PFAS, and halogens, addressing growing toxicological and environmental concerns. Despite its simplified material structure, it maintains high-performance characteristics essential for solid oral dosage forms, including a water vapor barrier and "outstanding push-through performance". Crucially for manufacturers, the material is designed for reliable processability on standard packaging machinery, minimizing the need for extensive line re-tooling.

What is the sustainability and lifecycle impact?

For scientists and sustainability officers tasked with reducing a product's carbon footprint, the environmental metrics of PharmaGuard are supported by the data. According to an ISO 14040/44-verified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by Sphera, this PP-based solution has a significantly lower climate impact compared to conventional composite materials made of aluminum and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Beyond blister packs, the MedGuard brand offers a comprehensive range of low-particle packaging concepts tailored for medical devices and sensitive diagnostic products. These systems include robust rigid and flexible films, as well as specialized pouch concepts manufactured under controlled clean room conditions.

The technical versatility of the MedGuard line allows materials to be equipped with specific barrier and peel properties. These are compatible with various lidding systems, including:

For surgical kits, syringes, and ampoules, the thermoformable rigid films are based on recyclable PET and PP, ensuring that even complex tray packaging aligns with sustainability objectives without sacrificing the stability or sterility of the process chain.

How does MedHub optimize the supply chain?

Recognizing the industry's need for agility, SÜDPACK is introducing MedHub, a service designed to streamline the procurement of pre-made medical bags and pouches (1, 2). This service targets customers requiring steady supplies of standard formats with "minimal effort and reliable delivery".

Customers can order high-quality, pre-made pouches in standard sizes and defined batch quantities either by phone, email, or online. MedHub packaging solutions are always in stock an fulfill the stringent quality requirements of the healthcare industry (2)

All MedHub products are manufactured in ISO-classified clean rooms and backed by standardized certifications to meet the highest safety standards for medical use. The service allows for the fast ordering of three-side seal pouches in various sizes and material combinations, tailored to specific oxygen, moisture, and light barrier requirements.

Pre-made pouches can be used at various stages to package products such as stoppers, filters, or connectors. They can also be used as simple transfer packaging for items such as glass vials, ampoules, or syringes, which are essential for administering liquid parenteral drugs and must remain completely sterile prior to filling (2).

Three-side seal pouches are made from film and Tyvek, which makes them sterilizable, puncture-resistant, and highly resistant to moisture and provides product protection and fast, clean opening, even in high-pressure environments.SÜDPACK also offers three-side seal pouches made of PA/PE in various sizes. These pouches provide a dependable microbial barrier and are also suitable for gamma sterilization (2).

How does SÜDPACK Medica serve the pharma industry?

Headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, SÜDPACK Medica leverages the technological leadership of the broader SÜDPACK Group, particularly in the coextrusion of polymer-based film solutions. With production sites across France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, the company utilizes a specialized team of experts in polymer science and process engineering to support global pharmaceutical clients in implementing demanding packaging configurations.

As the industry looks toward 2026, the integration of recyclable polymers into high-barrier sterile packaging marks a pivotal step in the evolution of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

SÜDPACK Medica. A Strong Partner to the Healthcare Industry: SÜDPACK Medica at PharmaPack 2026 in Paris. Press Release. Jan. 15, 2026. https://www.suedpack.com/en/suedpack-group/news/press-releases/press-detail-view/a-strong-partner-to-the-healthcare-industry-suedpack-medica-at-pharmapack-2026-in-paris

SÜDPACK Medica. SÜDPACK Medica launches new service for the healthcare industry. Press Release. Jan. 8, 2026. https://www.suedpack.com/en/suedpack-group/news/press-releases/press-detail-view/suedpack-medica-launches-new-service-for-the-healthcare-industry

SÜDPACK Medica is advancing mono-material blister technology with its PharmaGuard line, which shifts from traditional multi-layer composites to a recyclable polypropylene-based solution. This innovation addresses environmental concerns while maintaining high-performance characteristics essential for solid oral dosage forms. The MedGuard brand offers versatile packaging for sterile medical devices, aligning with sustainability goals. Additionally, the MedHub service optimizes the supply chain by providing pre-made medical bags and pouches, ensuring reliable delivery and compliance with stringent quality standards. SÜDPACK Medica's efforts mark a significant step in integrating recyclable polymers into pharmaceutical packaging.

The company will be highlighting its PharmaGuard recyclable blister solution, MedGuard line, and MedHub procurement service. 

SÜDPACK Medica to Unveil Next-Generation Sustainable Packaging and Streamlined Services at Pharmapack Europe 2026

AI is being utilized to prioritize clinical trials by identifying areas of significant unmet medical need, such as Alzheimer’s disease, ensuring resources are directed where they are most required rather than toward well-treated conditions. A digital representation of a patient comprising genomic data and therapy history may be used to facilitate precision prescription, helping clinicians select the optimal therapy from a pipeline of candidates based on an individual's unique biological differences, according to Michelle Longmire, CEO and Co-Founder, Medable. Beyond the lab, AI can streamline the "final mile" of medicine by educating physicians on newly approved drugs directly within patient records, bypassing the need for doctors to manually track every new approval.

The introduction of agentic AI aims to solve the inefficiency in clinical trials, where currently 80–90% of processes are manual. By deploying autonomous agents to handle tactical data collection and "heavy lifting," AI removes the administrative overhead that currently occupies half of a professional's day. This shift allows human experts to focus on strategic work, such as optimizing site openings or trial enrollment. Longmire predicts that by 2030, while technology will consume over 60% of budgets, the overall cost of healthcare will decrease.

, being held in San Francisco from January 12–15, to find out more about how AI and machine learning are improving the use of patient data to enhance treatment options.

PharmTech: How can AI/machine learning be used to predict which therapies will best meet treatment needs, especially for rare diseases or cancer treatments?

[Approaching] the problem from post-discovery and looking at the in-human trials, the most important thing that we really look at is how can you accelerate the inhuman testing part? When we think about unmet needs, we're looking at it from [for example] you've got 9000 candidates or a number of different treatments you want to try and [put through] clinical trials, where is the real unmet need? So that would drive the prioritization in the resourcing and timeline of the clinical trials. [If] you have 10 or 20 different candidates, and one is for psoriasis, and one's for Alzheimer's disease, I think, from our perspective, there's already great therapies for all psoriasis. So, let’s focus on where there really is an unmet medical need, and target company resources towards that need first.

How are AI and ML platforms being utilized to match the patient to the treatment?

We know that certain people respond to certain therapies better than others. One of the things that we've really been advocating for is something we call the digitome, which is a digital representation of a patient, and this enables us to get more precise, better data. This would include genomics data past therapies and failed therapies, in some cases, even looking at the genomics of drug processing. One of the areas that we're really excited about for machine learning and AI is, how do you do precision prescription? Let's say AI discovery unlocks the pipeline, and you've got 10 different therapies for a disease. What's the best one for the patient in front of me? That's a really important role for AI. And I think it's going to be exciting as more people have high-fidelity data about what makes them different as humans versus what makes us all similar. Clinical trials are good at solving for the common denominator in humans which is key because, of course, humans are more alike than different. But when prescribers can turn to many options, it is better to take a precision prescribing approach to decide which of these different therapeutic options is best for an individual person based on their differences.

What other uses for AI or ML do you see on the horizon?

Generally in healthcare, there's a big opportunity to use AI to do some of the initial triage, even diagnosing and prescribing as described earlier. I am a trained dermatologist in a relatively small pool of about 8000 dermatologists in the United States, which means there is often a two- to three-month wait time for patients to see one of us. Way back in 2013, Medable had a patent on using machine learning and computer vision for visual diagnosis. We have the data and publications galore that show this is safe and effective. It's just not widely being used. As people become more comfortable with this and we have reimbursement models, then we will be really able to target these unmet needs. AI could even be leveraged for initial triage, diagnosis, and prescribing in specialty care areas.

How do you think these platforms can prevent the bottleneck that happens with drug discovery, drug formulation, or just getting a drug to market?

One key way to accelerate commercialization is by educating physicians about new therapies. Medable and the industry invest a lot of time and money in driving new therapies to approval, but honestly, most doctors aren't even aware of cutting edge therapies available. There's a big opportunity to use AI to help identify the latest and greatest drug for each individual patient. And take some of that final mile work [of] “hey, have to learn the last 54 drugs that were approved last year, or the five that relate to my specialty,” off of a doctor’s plate and streamline that for physicians. It empowers them to help their patients sooner rather than waiting to hear about some new breakthrough at the next the big medical conference in the year.

What are you presenting at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference this year?

We're really focused on the fact that 80–90% of clinical trials are manual, and that, in our opinion, this is a big reason why we haven't changed the number of drugs approved in a year, no matter how much technology we throw at this, because you're only really previously looking at 10–20% of where you could apply technology. Now with agentic AI, we can remove that tactical overhead. We can actually do many more complex things with AI that were formerly only able to be done by humans. We've released agents that essentially autonomously do significant parts of the work to enable humans to do more strategic work and remove that manual bottleneck.

How do we end up in a world where there's real autonomy to AI to do a lot of the heavy lifting, and humans can do the more strategic work? Most of the [people] we've spoken with as we've developed the technology, about half of their day, if not more, is spent doing tactical data collection, you know, going to the system, getting this data here, putting it in an Excel sheet. A minority of time I spent looking at that and saying, okay, strategically, what do we do to make this trial enroll faster, to open this site faster, to address the fact that say there aren't enough patients meeting the inclusion exclusion. So, we're using AI to remove that whole tactical overhead. And we envision that, you know, by 2030, probably 60% plus of the budgets will go to technology, but the important part, the overall cost will go down, and humans will play a much more strategic role.

What are regulators like FDA saying about this use of AI?

I think their guidance is at a fairly high level. But the really positive thing is, most of these have a good clinical practice lens, which is just a set of guiding principles. It's not prescriptive. So, there's a fairly strong framework for good clinical practice and being able to show that AI does good clinical practice as well as humans or better.

Michelle Longmire, CEO and Co-Founder, Medable

As the co-founder and chief executive officer of Medable, Dr. Michelle Longmire is mission-driven to accelerate the development of new therapies for disease. A Stanford-trained physician-scientist, Dr. Longmire witnessed firsthand the critical barriers to drug development – including the time and costs associated with clinical trial participation. She founded Medable to pioneer a new category of clinical trial technologies that remove traditional roadblocks to participation and radically accelerate the research process. Medable is now the industry leader in decentralized and direct-to-patient research, with the ability to serve patients in over 120 languages, 60 countries, and across all therapeutic areas. In addition to having raised over $500M in venture capital and driving Medable to an industry-leading position, Dr. Longmire has received recognition as a leading innovator and businesswoman, including being named as one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company.

AI is revolutionizing clinical trials by prioritizing areas with significant unmet medical needs, such as Alzheimer's disease, and optimizing resource allocation. It facilitates precision prescription through digital patient representations, enhancing therapy selection based on individual biological differences. AI also streamlines the "final mile" of medicine by educating physicians on new drugs within patient records. Agentic AI addresses inefficiencies in clinical trials by automating data collection, allowing professionals to focus on strategic tasks. By 2030, technology is expected to dominate budgets, reducing overall healthcare costs while enhancing strategic human roles.

AI and machine learning may be the ideal tools to evaluate patient data and predict ideal treatment options.

The Transformative Potential of AI to Enhance Patient Treatment

On Jan. 12, 2026, Jubilant Biosys Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jubilant Pharmova Limited, announced at the 

, which is being held in San Francisco from January 12–15, that it is opening a new discovery and preclinical facility at Noida in India (1). The new facility will double the contract research, development and manufacturing organization’s (CRDMO) chemistry capacity and will combine discovery and early-phase scale up capabilities with R7B labs and two pilot plants. This expansion will meet the company’s demand for fee-for-service contracts.

Comprehensive route scouting, process design and optimization, scalable synthesis development, analytical services will be available, including salt screening and polymorph evaluation and seamless technology transfer to pilot plants all from the specially designed campus. 

The new facility offers a fully unified route from discovery to scale-up and will complement the company’s Chemistry Research Innovation Center (CRIC) in Greater Noida [Delhi], will feature the addition of multiple manufacturing lines, and will increase the number of scientists at the company to 1300. The small-molecule hub is designed to handle quantities from hundreds of grams up to 25kg and combines two pilot plant blocks with co-located discovery labs. A 20,000-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art R&D space will include 15 reactors ranging from 20L through 250L, and the facility may be expanded multifold in the future with room to quadrupole capacity.

“We have grown rapidly over the past year, well above the wider market, by expanding our FFS offerings, which enable innovators to advance discovery projects with lower risk,” Giuliano Perfetti, CEO, Jubilant Biosys Limited, said in a press release (1). “With improving funding conditions, we anticipate even higher demand next year, and this new facility doubles our existing capabilities. From a client perspective, we can now provide faster discovery delivery and integrated scale-up, with projects seamlessly transferred to our GMP facilities ready for any IND filing and commercial phases.”

How are other outsourcing providers meeting capacity needs?

A variety of contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) made moves in 2025 to expand facilities and services to meet market demands. In August 2025, Bora Pharmaceuticals expanded manufacturing and packaging capabilities at its Maple Grove, Minn facility that will include 100,000 square feet of dedicated shell space to streamline high-volume production (2).

In June 2025, CDMO, Piramal Pharma Solutions, broke ground on a new sterile injectables development and manufacturing facility in Lexington, Ky. The dedicated fill/finish facility will have services for all integrated programs and specialize in sterile compounding, liquid filling, and lyophilization for sterile injectable drug products (3). The expansion, which is expected to be completed by late 2027, will accommodate commercial-scale sterile injectable manufacturing with 24,000 additional square feet, plus a new laboratory, a new filling line, specialized capping machine, external vial washer, and two commercial-size lyophilizers.

SK pharmteco announced a $6.1 million investment at its Rancho Cordova, Calif. facility in October that expands its solid-phase peptide synthesis and purification capabilities (4). The company also is planning a $260 million small-molecule and peptide production facility in South Korea (5).

Jubilant Biosys Limited. Jubilant Biosys Doubles Early Chemistry Scale-Up Capacity with New Noida Facility in India. Press Release. Jan. 12, 2026.

Bora Pharmaceuticals. Bora Pharmaceuticals Announces Multi-Year Expansion for Midwest Manufacturing Site, as Upsher-Smith Entity Split is Finalized. Press Release. Aug. 5, 2025. 

https://bora-corp.com/bora-pharmaceuticals-announces-multi-year-expansion-for-midwest-manufacturing-site-as-upsher-smith-entity-split-is-finalized/

Piramal Pharma Solutions Breaks Ground on $90M Expansion Plan

SK pharmteco Boosts Domestic Peptide Scale-Up with Investment in California Facility

SK pharmteco Invests $260 Million to Expand Global Small Molecule and Peptide Production

Jubilant Biosys Limited is expanding its capabilities with a new discovery and preclinical facility in Noida, India, doubling its chemistry capacity. This facility will integrate discovery and early-phase scale-up capabilities, featuring R&D labs and pilot plants, and will increase the company's workforce to 1,300 scientists. The expansion aims to meet growing demand for fee-for-service contracts, offering comprehensive services from discovery to scale-up. Other CDMOs, like Bora Pharmaceuticals and Piramal Pharma Solutions, are also expanding their facilities to meet market demands, enhancing manufacturing and packaging capabilities.

The CRDMO’s new facility will double chemistry capacity for drug discovery research and scale-up projects.

Jubilant Biosys Announces New Facility in India

Personalized Medicine vs. Precision Medicine

, the concept of personalized medicine shifted from a general idea that all people should have personalized care based on their circumstances to how biology can be used to design a drug that works for a specific disease at a specific time.

“Precision medicine really is understanding the data, the biology that drives disease, the initial focus on this was really around in oncology, and if we look at the advancements in oncology over the past 15 years, they've been profound with the use of genetics and genomics to identify biological factors in patients tumors that have driven the development of targeted therapies and immunotherapies that have really transformed the treatment of patients with cancer,” Dr. Carter explains. “Now even deeper information on genetics has allowed us to develop gene therapies and other treatments that are transformative for rare diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune disease.”

Patient access to precision medicine is one of the biggest challenges to their success, according to Dr. Carter. “There's a tremendous amount of progress, but the drugs are, while they're fantastic drugs, they're incredibly expensive, they're quite esoteric in terms of how to use them and for which patients, and we need to really understand,” Dr. Carter says. “And this was where we get really into the precision medicine aspect. We need to both understand the biology of the patient’s disease and how to get patients access to the right drugs at the right time in a financially sustainable way for the system.”

Dr. Carter will be discussing how precision-guided platforms can help pharmaceutical companies manage the costs of developing precision medicines, such as cell and gene therapies, and therefore improve patient access, at the 

 in San Francisco, which is being held from January 12–15.

Dr. Jennifer Levin Carter, founder and CEO, Medzown

Jennifer Levin Carter, MD, MPH, MBA is Founder & CEO of Medzown. Dr. Carter is a globally recognized leader in precision medicine, with a proven track record of building transformative companies at the intersection of data, technology, and patient care. She was the Founder and President of N-of-One, Inc., where she served as CEO from 2008–2012 and later as President and Chief Medical Officer until its acquisition by Qiagen (Market Cap $8B) in 2019. At N-of-One, Dr. Carter led the development of award-winning solutions that continue to deliver novel treatment strategies to hundreds of thousands of cancer patients worldwide.

In 2018, Dr. Carter founded a novel clinical trials company focused on reimagining trial design and access. She served as CEO until its pre-launch acquisition by Integral Health (now Valo Health) in March 2019. These experiences cemented her reputation as an innovator in precision medicine, clinical trial delivery, and patient-centered care models.

Following these ventures, Dr. Carter became a Managing Partner and Venture Partner at Sandbox Industries and Blue Venture Fund, a unique collaboration between BCBS companies, BCBSA, and Sandbox. It was in this role—working closely with BCBS executives—that she gained a deep understanding of the challenges associated with the rising costs of cell and gene therapy. This insight inspired her to launch Medzown, where she continues to address those challenges by building scalable, technology-enabled solutions to improve patient access to advanced therapies.

Dr. Carter is also a seasoned healthcare executive, investor, and board member with expertise spanning healthcare IT and services, digital health and machine learning, genomics, drug development, and the creation of next-generation platforms to improve therapeutic access. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Synteny.ai, TempraMed, Inc., and Target Cancer Foundation, and is a strategic advisor to numerous venture-backed healthcare and life sciences companies.

Previously, she has held board roles at Oncocyte (NASDAQ: OCX), XSphera Biosciences (Co-Founder), CareMax (NASDAQ: CMAX), DFP Healthcare Acquisitions Corp (NASDAQ: DFPH), HouseWorks, eCaring, and others. She also serves on the Director’s Advisory Board at Smilow New Haven Cancer Center at Yale University, the Board of the Blavatnik Fund at Yale University, and the MedExec Women’s Advisory Board.

Dr. Carter earned a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude with distinction) from Yale University, an MD from Harvard Medical School, an MPH from Harvard School of Public Health, and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. She is a member of the American Association of Corporate Directors (Advanced Professional Director Certification), National Association of Corporate Directors, Women Corporate Directors, Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation, and Women in Bio.

Dr. Jennifer Levin Carter, founder and CEO of Medzown, discusses what makes precision medicine different from personalized medicine and what how challenges faced in this evolving field can be overcome. 

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