Simplifying self-medication: SCHOTT Pharma expands cartridge production in China and Hungary

Thursday, September 22, 2022, Mainz, Germany

  • The double-digit million Euro investment is designed to significantly increase the production capacities for pharmaceutical cartridges in Hungary and China.
  • Cartridges are used to store and administer drugs, such as insulin, GLP-1, or growth hormones, which can be self-injected with the help of an auto-injector.
As a pioneer in pharma drug containment and delivery solutions, SCHOTT Pharma is again announcing plans to expand its manufacturing facilities: With a double-digit million Euro investment, the company aims to significantly increase its production capacity for cartridges in China and in Hungary. “Pharmaceutical cartridges are an essential component of injection devices, such as pen, auto and wearable injectors, that make it easier for the patient to self-administer insulin and other drugs in a home or hospital care setting. This is a growing trend and by expanding our manufacturing capacities, we are supporting the pharma industry in enhancing patient comfort,” explains Andreas Reisse, CEO of SCHOTT Pharma. “Pharma companies rely on a supplier with a global production footprint, who can deliver the quantities they need and can optimally tailor its capacity increases to their future business. Already today, we’re present in all major regions of the world and the leading insulin providers in Asia and Europe rely on our cartridges,” says Frank Bellemans, Vice President for Global Operations at SCHOTT Pharma. The expansions follow a number of investment announcements, including plans to increase the production capacity of ready-to-use cartridges in Switzerland.
Production picture of pharmaceutical glass cartridges.
SCHOTT Pharma plans to expand its production capacity for cartridges in China and Hungary. Image: SCHOTT Pharma
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Medical therapies often require patients to receive a drug frequently over a long time, which can impact the lives of the patients tremendously. Pharma companies are therefore looking for ways to enhance patient comfort. This can be achieved by enabling patients to perform the required drug administration themselves using pen or auto injectors. These rely on pharmaceutical cartridges or syringes that combine the capabilities of safe storage and accurate injection of the contained drug.

SCHOTT Pharma cartridges are compatible with a wide range of devices to enable safe and easy-to-use drug delivery in highly accurate doses. As a non-sterile variant, the cartridges are available in 1-20 ml formats and delivered in a tray with optional dividers. The investment will further allow the company to advance its state-of-the-art forming technology and 100% on-line inspection systems.

About SCHOTT Pharma

SCHOTT Pharma designs solutions grounded in science to ensure that medications are safe and easy to use for people around the world – because human health matters. The portfolio comprises drug containment and delivery solutions for injectable drugs ranging from prefillable glass and polymer syringes, to cartridges, vials, and ampoules. Every day, a team of around 4,700 people from over 65 nations works at SCHOTT Pharma to contribute to global healthcare. The company is represented in all main pharmaceutical hubs with 17 manufacturing sites in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. With over 900 patents and technologies developed in-house, a state-of-the-art R&D center in Switzerland, and around 130 employees in R&D, the company is focused on developing innovations for the future. SCHOTT Pharma AG & Co. KGaA, headquartered in Mainz, Germany, is part of SCHOTT AG that 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 1,700 customers including the top 30 leading pharma manufacturers for injectable drugs and generated sales of EUR 650 million in the fiscal year 2021.

Joana Kornblum

Joana Kornblum

Manager Corporate Communications
+49 151/29223552

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