Bio-based pharmaceutical blister packaging
Nowadays, biomass based plastics made from plant derived raw materials have attracted a lot of attention as an environmentally friendly material. They help reduce carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases. In October 2021, Astellas Pharma Inc. successfully applied biomass based plastic films (hereinafter referred to as "biofilms") to blisters as primary packaging for pharmaceuticals. The blister packaging is made of biomass based plastics, and the polyethylene extracted from sugarcane accounts for 50% of its raw material. It is a thermoformed sheet developed by Mitsubishi Chemical Company of Japan.
As far as we know, this is the first time in the world that biomass film has been used for pharmaceutical blister packaging. The blister packaging of drugs plays a crucial role in the proper delivery of drugs to patients, which means that careful and extensive examination is required before applying biological films to commercial products. Through one difficulty after another, we have finally achieved the commercial production of biomass film blister packaging, ensuring a stable supply.
Blister packaging is particularly challenging. They must provide the necessary shock protection and sealing to prevent the ingress of oxygen and moisture, while maintaining flexibility to allow the tablets to be extracted. It also requires good visibility and easy separation within the product. Astellas has fully utilized its packaging technology developed over the years to achieve the production of biomass based plastic sheets, which can be produced on a large scale, while achieving tablet protection functions and usability.
Biomass blisters can help reduce the use of traditional petroleum derived plastic films, such as polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride films, which reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 40% compared to polypropylene blisters. In addition, biomass blisters can provide the characteristics required for drug blisters, which not only prevents physical damage, but also provides sufficient availability for patients and healthcare providers. In addition, biomass blisters can be manufactured using existing equipment without requiring too much time and money investment. In other words, the packaging technology used for biomass blisters is universal and can be applied to many other pharmaceutical products, which can simultaneously achieve environmental protection and deliver high-quality drugs.
