Transforming operational efficiency and sustainability: SCHOTT Pharma introduces nest design with more cavities for prefillable polymer syringes

31 July 2024, Germany, Mainz

• SCHOTT Pharma’s new nest holds 160 prefillable polymer syringes, which marks an increase of 60 syringes per nest.
• The new nest design allows pharma companies to increase their efficiency by up to 67%, significantly reduce their manufacturing costs and reduce the product carbon footprint by 17% while maintaining high quality and sterility.
• By collaborating with Bausch + Ströbel, the new nest is compatible with high-tech machines leading to efficient and reliable fill-and-finish operations for pharma companies.

SCHOTT Pharma, a pioneer in pharma drug containment solutions and delivery systems, developed a new nest design for prefillable polymer syringes, which holds a total of 160 syringes without changing the size of the nest. This marks an increase of 60% compared to the standard nest that fits 100 syringes. This means that drug manufacturers benefit from an increased output compared to the standard setup: In the same cycle time, the new nest from SCHOTT Pharma enables pharma companies to fill significantly more syringes per hour than the nest with 100 syringes. As a result, pharma companies are able to increase their efficiency by up to 67% while significantly reducing their manufacturing costs and reducing the product carbon footprint (PCF) by 17%. “Through this step, we are actively addressing one of the main levers to improve the costs of pharma companies and reorganizing their value chain,” says Andreas Reisse, CEO of SCHOTT Pharma. “This innovation is a testament to our engineering expertise and with it, we’re enabling pharma manufacturers to meet their needs for efficiency, sustainability, and compliance, while assuring uncompromised quality. We have received positive feedback from the market so far and first customers are already planning to implement the new product.” Besides direct cost reduction, additional savings come from minimizing transportation needs, storage space and ready-to-use waste.

As drug manufacturers strive to meet the increasing demand for high-speed, large-scale production, they require drug containment solutions and delivery systems that can be filled quickly and efficiently. At the same time, they are looking to reduce costs without compromising on quality or regulatory compliance. Additionally, with growing regulatory pressure, companies are looking for ways to reduce CO2 emissions and minimize waste management costs. SCHOTT Pharma’s new enhanced SCHOTT TOPPAC® Nest 160 is specifically designed to meet these diverse demands in one comprehensive solution, enabling more efficient production of high-quality drugs, including vaccines, derma fillers, or diluents. Thanks to economy of scale effects, the total fix cost is greatly reduced due to the higher output.

Collaborating with industry leaders

The nest builds on the strong collaboration between SCHOTT Pharma and Bausch + Ströbel, a leading machine manufacturer. “By working closely together with SCHOTT Pharma, we have achieved seamless integration of the new SCHOTT TOPPAC® Nest 160 with our high-speed filling lines. We’re able to ensure an easy implementation, which only requires minor retrofit changes, thereby increasing efficiency and ensuring reliable operations for pharma companies," adds Marco Eller, Product Manager at Bausch + Ströbel.

Extensive portfolio of high-value solutions

SCHOTT Pharma has a proven track record of manufacturing prefillable polymer syringes from cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) for over 20 years. The industry’s trust in the company is underlined by the broad customer base for these solutions, including over 100 commercial customers, as well as leading mRNA drug manufacturers. Already today, four blockbuster drugs, which are drugs that generate a turnover of more than USD 1 billion per year, are stored in the company's COC syringes.

About SCHOTT Pharma

Human health matters. That is why SCHOTT Pharma designs solutions grounded in science to ensure that medications are safe and easy to use for people around the world. The portfolio comprises drug containment solutions and delivery systems for injectable drugs ranging from prefillable glass and polymer syringes to cartridges, vials, and ampoules. Every day, a team of over 4,600 people from over 60 nations works at SCHOTT Pharma to contribute to global healthcare. The company is represented in all main pharmaceutical hubs with 16 manufacturing sites in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. With over 1,000 patents and technologies developed in-house and a state-of-the-art R&D center in Switzerland, the company is focused on developing innovations for the future. SCHOTT Pharma AG & Co. KGaA is headquartered in Mainz, Germany and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as part of the SDAX. It is part of SCHOTT AG, which is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation. In light of this spirit, SCHOTT Pharma is committed to sustainable development for society and the environment and has the strategic goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030. Currently, SCHOTT Pharma has over 1,800 customers including the top 30 leading pharma manufacturers for injectable drugs and generated revenue of EUR 899 million in the fiscal year 2023. Further information at www.schott-pharma.com.

Press contact
Joana Kornblum
Media Relations
Tel.: +49 151/29223552
E-Mail: joana.kornblum@schott.com 

Jasko Terzic, CFA
Senior Manager Investor Relations
E-Mail: ir.pharma@schott.com