A fully automatic injector that adapts to vials, pharmaceutical packages that improve patient compliance/adherence, eco-friendly design, and packs that aim to improve supply chain and logistics efforts were honored as winners of the 2017 Pharmapack Awards during the Feb. 1-2 Pharmapack Europe event held in Paris.
For 20 years now, this packaging and drug delivery event has awarded innovation. This year’s product/package entrants entered the market in 2016. A press release announcing the winners noted, “Due to the outstanding quality of entries, four innovations were selected in the Exhibitor Innovation category, and two winners received awards in the Health Product category.”
Winners in the Best Exhibitor Innovation category were:
• Patient Compliance: August Faller GmbH & Co. KG - Pharma Compliance Pack
• Ease of use & Patient Compliance: EVEON – Intuity®Ject
• Patient Safety: Multi-Color Corp. – SMART Packaging Solution
• Patient Centricity & Customization: Nemera – Safelia®
Meanwhile, Best Health Product category winners were:
• Patient Compliance: Celgene –OTEZLA®(apremilast) Titration Pack
• Eco-Design: Sanofi Pasteur & Campak– Compact Box
The Innovation Gallery displayed all 19 cutting-edge exhibitor finalists. In this Best Health Product category, the OTEZLA (apremilast) Titrition Pack by Celgene was recognized for its design, which maximizes patient compliance to titration-dosing schedule. Containing three different strengths of Otezla® pills (10mg, 20mg, 30mg) and easy to read and understand instructions, it promotes patient adherence and compliance to the Otezla® titration dosing regimen.
The Compact Box, created by the partnership of Sanofi Pasteur and Campak, simultaneously improves environmental footprint, customer convenience, supply chain costs and industrial performance. The breakthrough enables packaging volume to be reduced by 50% and eliminates the need for PVC blisters. Reduction is achieved through using continuous-motion technology, and cold chain benefits include a 30% improvement in distribution costs.
Anne Schumacher, Brand Director at Pharmapack Europe, said, “The entire event is dedicated to innovation, from the products on the show floor through to the content sessions, but the awards provide international recognition and are very much the crowning glory of Pharmapack Europe each year.
“We also introduced the new Pharmapack Start-up Hub, to showcase the most cutting-edge early-stage innovations. There has been such a breadth of technologies on show this week, with the judging panel acknowledging the exceptionally high standard of entries, so I would like to offer my congratulations to the winners for the benefits they are bringing to healthcare.”
Innovation category winners
The Pharma Compliance Pack by August Faller GmbH & Co. received the Best Exhibitor Innovation for “Patient Compliance.” The pack features authenticity protection and guides the patient easily through the medication by incorporating perforated tabs, which are removed before a tablet is taken, meaning blisters can only be withdrawn in “portions.” The result is the patient takes their medication at the right time, in the correct order, and in the prescribed amount—promoting improved treatment adherence.
IntuityJect by EVEON was selected as the Best Exhibitor Innovation for “Ease of use & Patient compliance.” Representing an industry first, according to Pharmapack, in that it’s the only fully automated injector that adapts to vials. The all-in-one platform provides automated preparation and administration, along with a modular design to adapt to primary containers. It also works with viscous drugs and can monitor batch numbers, date/time and volumes delivered—transmitting this information to the patient or to the healthcare professional.
Best Exhibitor Innovation for “Patient Safety,” the Multi-Color Corporation’s SMART Packaging Solution transforms standard packaging into interactive touchpoints for use throughout the drug supply chain. This means you can communicate with various users, while also offering security and logistics management for traceability and tamper evidence. The innovation includes copy-proof QR code, NFC/RFID technologies, proof of purchase and an analytics dashboard.
Nemera’s Safelia earned the award for Best Exhibitor Innovation for “Patient Centricity & Customization.” The autoinjector is used for the delivery of 1-mL and 2.25-mL prefilled syringes; it administers both high volumes and high viscosities through thinner needles. Providing automatic needle insertion, injection and needle retraction, Safelia is customizable to specific patient cohorts and formulations—including viscous, fragile and non-Newtonian behavior.
“In the past two decades, the high-calibre products from exhibitors and visitors is a testament to the heart of innovation that permeates our sector and event. This year, our winners were those who excelled through patient compliance, digital integration, sustainability and automation—continuously breaking boundaries and developing the revolutionary solutions of tomorrow,” said Schumacher.
