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Trends in Labels and Adhesives

Changes create new challenges for label, adhesive companies.

Seen here are examples of Avery Dennison labels adhering to pharmaceutical syringes.
Seen here are examples of Avery Dennison labels adhering to pharmaceutical syringes.

A label is a label is a label, right?

Not by a long shot.

Refrigerated and cryogenic conditions, global standards and regulations, biologics and biosimilars, migration issues, sustainability and other factors require consideration when evaluating what label materials and adhesives will work best in specific packaging applications.

“We've seen a lot of evolution of the market over the past few years with new technologies in medicine, particularly around biologics and biosimilars,” says Alison Schuitema, Avery Dennison Product Manager, Pharmaceuticals—Materials Group North America.

“So with those advanced technologies come new packaging material needs. For instance, with biologics we see a lot of drugs packaged in syringes, ampules and vials. For us, that drives the need for label materials that will function on a small-diameter package. It will also drive the need for labels that will function in a cold chain environment. Those drugs can be temperature-sensitive and have to be kept cold, frozen, or even in cryogenic temperatures throughout the supply chain.”

She says these are mainly liquid injectable intravenous drugs.

“We also see a trend toward plastic packaging for vials and ampoules,” Schuitema adds. “They’re lighter in weight and harder to break. Traditionally these had been glass. That’s changing.”

For Avery Dennison, she says, “that drives the need for labels that will adhere to low surface energy substrates. Plastic has lower surface energy, so it may require a different type of adhesive that will adhere to the lower surface energy substrate.”

Dave Collins, Avery Dennison Marketing Director-Specialty, says that with biologics, “what’s needed is a more aggressive adhesive that combines excellent, tight performance with good initial tack. You want it to grab, you want it to stay in place, and it has to have low migration characteristics.”

Low migration is a critical characteristic for pharma/biopharma labels, says Schuitema, “especially for syringe applications. And now that matters more with the increasing switch toward plastic bottles, vials and ampoules. So that could be included in that adhesive, or in its chemical composition. Low migration means that none of the components in that adhesive are going to migrate through the packaging and into the product.”

LAST CHANCE TO SAVE! New Tech for Life Sciences at PACK EXPO Southeast
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LAST CHANCE TO SAVE! New Tech for Life Sciences at PACK EXPO Southeast