Advancing GLP-1 treatments, insulin, and large-volume injections with ready-to-use cartridges from SCHOTT Pharma

Monday, November 20, 2023, Mainz, Germany

  • Pharma companies are increasingly interested in ready-to-use (RTU) solutions for commercial drug production.
  • SCHOTT Pharma is supporting this trend by completing its RTU portfolio with sterile cartridges available for clinical and commercial filling and ranging from small to large filling volumes of 1.5 ml to 20 ml.
  • These drug delivery systems are used to safely store and administer GLP-1 drugs, which are increasingly demanded to treat type-2 diabetes and obesity, insulin, as well as high-value biologics.
SCHOTT Pharma, a pioneer in pharma drug containment solutions and delivery systems, is announcing the availability of its ready-to-use (RTU) cartridges for clinical and commercial filling. The small volume cartridges are particularly suitable for administering insulin and GLP-1 drugs, which are used to treat diabetes and obesity, while the large volume cartridges are suitable to store high-value biologics to treat cancer or Parkinson's disease, for example. As a RTU solution, the containers are washed, depyrogenated, siliconized and steam sterilized, which allows CDMOs and pharma companies to immediately start the filling process without having to handle the preparatory steps themselves. “We see ourselves as a partner to the pharma industry and our RTU portfolio reduces the workload for drug manufacturers as we’re taking care of time- and cost-intensive process steps ourselves,” said Andreas Reisse, CEO of SCHOTT Pharma. RTU solutions are already established to fill smaller drug charges for clinical trials and are now increasingly used in commercial drug production. The company offers a complete RTU portfolio including cartridges, syringes, and vials, and is ready to supply large quantities for human use.
Two hands holding two ready-to-use cartridges
The ready-to-use cartridges from SCHOTT Pharma are used to safely store and administer GLP-1 drugs, insulin as well as high-value biologics. Image: SCHOTT Pharma/Oana Szekely
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Made of high-quality borosilicate glass, SCHOTT Pharma’s RTU cartridges allow for improved drug stability thanks to an optimized leachable behavior of the glass and prequalified components, such as combi-seals and plungers. “With our RTU cartridges, we’re able to help pharma companies, CDMOs and start-ups alike to maintain a short time to market, while increasing processing and output efficiency,” explains Elisa Wiesner, Global Product Manager for bulk and sterile cartridges at SCHOTT Pharma. “Subsequently, the drugs can reach the patients in a timely and safe manner.”

The RTU cartridges known as cartriQ® are compatible with hand-held injection devices such as pens and autoinjectors, while the cartriQ® Large Volume products are ideally suited for wearable large-volume injectors (LVI). The prequalified device fit supports the shift from hospital to home care, whereby patients can safely inject drugs themselves in the comfort of their homes.

As part of the SCHOTT iQ® platform, which also includes RTU syringes and vials, the RTU cartridges are delivered in an industry-standard nest and tub and remain nested throughout the filling process. This eliminates glass-to-glass contact and allows pharma companies full flexibility when filling different medications in different containers on one filling line.

Ready-to-usw cartridges in a container

SCHOTT Pharma’s ready-to-use cartridges are available for clinical and commercial filling. Image: SCHOTT Pharma/Oana Szekely

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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 16 manufacturing sites in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. With over 1,000 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 1,800 customers including the top 30 leading pharma manufacturers for injectable drugs and generated sales of EUR 821 million in the fiscal year 2022.

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Joana Kornblum - Public Relations Manager
Joana Kornblum

Manager Corporate Communications