The pharmaceutical industry invests billions towards research on new drugs. The objective is to come up with even better medicines that are more effective and easier to administer. However, before a physician or hospital can make use of a new substance, a number of obstacles must be overcome. Safety and quality are at the top of the list. Here, the respective approval processes can take years or even decades. But, researchers and the authorities not only scrutinize the drugs themselves, but also containers that come into direct contact with the active ingredients. These products are referred to as primary pharmaceutical packaging, in other words vials, syringes, cartridges and ampoules. In addition to aspects like product integrity and user friendliness, other important questions are how to package and store new active ingredients most effectively. Undesired adsorption, i. e. when active ingredients become attached to their containers, or how to deal with so-called »extractables« are examples of issues that are currently of interest. These elements that are invisible to the human eye can detach themselves from the pharmaceutical packaging over time and can, thus, interfere with the effectiveness of the medication stored inside. ”This effect can be observed even with borosilicate glass of the highest quality,” explains Dr. Claudia Dietrich, Product Manager for Vials & Coating at SCHOTT forma vitrum. The application of extremely thin barrier coatings to the inside surface of the pharmaceutical container represents one very effective approach to improving the chemical stability of these packaging materials.
