The global market for pre-filled syringes will grow substantially over the next five years to reach sales of $ billion, according to a new report from Smithers Rapra. With sales of $ billion expected by 2018, syringes of this kind cater to an expanding patient demographic: people with chronic conditions who need, or prefer, to administer their own medicines. The race is on to improve the associated technologies, ensuring that the new generation of prefilled syringes can adequately accommodate tomorrow’s drugs.

Biopharmaceutical packaging is changing. As pharmaceutical manufacturers embrace more flexible processes that limit the risk of product contamination, packaging and containment systems are being designed to facilitate manufacturing of smaller product lots and batches. Some fill/finish operations are moving to fully enclosed, automated operation, requiring the use of not only nested syringes and closures, but also nested vials and caps, and manufacturers are working to standardize these components. Designers of primary packaging and delivery system components have had to change their approach to product development.

ACI’s European Prefilled Syringes Summit will explore the advancements in regulatory guidelines, product development, manufacturing processes, risk mitigation , portfolio management and answer some infinite industry questions such as; how the industry is responding to disruptive technology, connectivity, speed to market, and next generation syringes. . There are several elements that pose a severe challenge to the growth of the global prefilled syringes market, the primary one being the high costs associated with temperature controlled packaging required for temperature-sensitive drugs. Other more traditional factors inhibiting the market include product recalls due to breakages and leachables, the potential risk of interaction between prefilled syringes and drugs, and needle stick prevention.