Amcor and GSK win Alufoil Trophy for Enhanced Desiccated Patient Blister Pack for Augmentin®
High barrier packaging ideal for protecting moisture-sensitive pharmaceutical products
The European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) awarded the Alufoil Trophy in the Product Protection category to Formpack® Dessiflex Ultra, in recognition of the enhanced protection provided to the Augmentin® product and the positive impact on the millions of patients who use it.
The new pharmaceutical packaging meets demand for a packaging solution that can absorb moisture, providing an impermeable moisture barrier via cross diffusion through the blister edges.
The Formpack® Dessiflex Ultra blister solution was developed by Amcor, and this specific package was done in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for their Augmentin® product in the Pakistan market, and in close collaboration with packaging machine manufacturer CAM-Partena.
Noemi Bertolino, Product Development Director for Amcor said, “Winning this award in conjunction with our valued partners GSK and CAM Partena underscores our joint commitment to providing packaging that ensures patient safety. For Amcor, the award recognizes our commitment to innovation for our pharmaceutical customers, whose solutions help millions of people feel better, every day. Products like the Dessiflex range are made possible thanks to our long-term commitment to R&D, and partnerships with some of the biggest healthcare companies in the world.”
Augmentin® is used to treat a range of bacterial infections. Previously for the Pakistan market, Augmentin® tablets were packaged in a glass bottle with a desiccant sachet and sealed using an aluminium pilfer-proof closure with a liner. The new Augmentin® blister pack, using Formpack® Dessiflex Ultra, allows patients to access each individual tablet which assists with adherence because patients can more easily see how many tablets have been taken, and how many remain in the treatment.
The new blister system made of Formpack® Dessiflex Ultra is a smarter alternative to adding a desiccant wad or sachet to the six tablets within a glass container as it removes ingestion risk for the patient and reduces complexity on GSK’s production lines.
For any aluminium blister, moisture can enter the cavity via cross diffusion through the seal layer, or as part of the tablet packaging process. Formpack® Dessiflex Ultra eliminates that risk, and in addition, it can dry moisture within the atmosphere of the cavity during the packaging process.
Formpack® Dessiflex Ultra is the latest addition to Amcor’s Dessiflex range of healthcare packaging which also includes Dessiflex Plus, for which Amcor holds a patent.
The Alufoil Trophy is awarded to packaging that delivers products safely and hygienically. The judges recognized Formpack®Dessiflex Ultra’s protective properties and its convenience for patients, compared with the previous industry-approved packaging solution.
Find out more about Amcor’s Dessiflex Blister System at amcor.com.
About Amcor
Amcor (ASX: AMC; www.amcor.com) is a global leader in developing and producing high-quality, responsible packaging for a variety of food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical-device, home- and personal-care and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains, through a broad range of flexible packaging, containers, cartons, closures and services. The company’s 35,000 people generate more than US$9 billion in sales from operations that span 200-plus locations in more than 40 countries.
The Alufoil Trophy
The Alufoil Trophy is organised by the European Aluminium Foil Association. There are five categories: Consumer Convenience, Marketing and Design, Product Protection, Resource Efficiency and Technical Innovation. Judges also gave an award for Application Innovation. For 2019, there were 9 winners.
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