Protecting drugs at deep-cold temperatures: SCHOTT Pharma launches new vials for mRNA and gene therapy
Wednesday, January 24, 2024, Mainz, Germany
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EVERIC® freeze vials withstand storage temperatures down to -80°C needed for vaccines, such as gene therapy and mRNA drugs.
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These deep-cold temperature drugs can be used to treat infectious diseases, cancer, and central nervous system disorders – a growing market, which includes, for example, 11 mRNA drugs and 10 gene therapy drugs commercially available in 2023, and over 100 mRNA and 45 gene therapy drugs in clinical trials (Source: GlobalData).
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New vials prevent loss of life-saving medications and costly downtimes thanks to strength-optimized geometry leading to reduced risk of breakage.
In 2023, there were for example 11 mRNA drugs and 10 gene therapy drugs commercially available, which required deep-cold storage, and over 100 mRNA and 45 gene therapy drugs in clinical trials (Source: GlobalData). Pharma companies are therefore looking for an experienced partner in terms of drug containment and delivery systems, who can provide the right solution to help shorten the time to market. “By expanding our portfolio with the new vials, we are now the only partner to leading pharma companies, who can offer both polymer and glass solutions for deep-cold storage requirements,” adds Reisse.
On top, drug manufacturers want to ensure that the drug remains stable until it reaches the patient. For this, the container closure integrity (CCI) is crucial. However, it, too, is at risk in deep-cold temperatures because the stoppers can shrink and lose elasticity, which could affect the drug’s efficacy. Through vigorous scientific testing with eight variants, SCHOTT Pharma found a 0% failure rate for all configurations, showing that CCI can be maintained for all combinations within ISO dimensions, including EVERIC® freeze vials.
The new vials are manufactured in Müllheim, Germany, which is also where SCHOTT Pharma’s competence center is located, can be supplied as ready-to-use (RTU) if requested and are available in 2 – 30 mL. The solution is the newest member of the established EVERIC® portfolio, which allows pharma companies to flexibly combine features to address different needs and enhance efficiency.
Learn more about SCHOTT EVERIC® freeze.
The new vials from SCHOTT Pharma feature optimized strength for deep-cold storage. Image: SCHOTT Pharma/Oana Szekely
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 solutions and delivery systems 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, 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 fully 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 revenues of EUR 821 million in the fiscal year 2022.
Joana Kornblum
Manager Corporate Communications
Research Gate