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PACK EXPO/Pharma EXPO Sets All-Time Record

Pill dispensing system, regulatory-compliant blister carton, automation in cannabis packaging, and serialization issues highlight Pharma EXPO 2016.

Technology is pushing the boundaries in the pharmaceutical and broader life science sectors, which was evident at the Nov. 6-9 PACK EXPO International 2016 and Pharma EXPO event, held in Chicago and owned and produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

PMMI reports that the event was the largest show in its 60-year history, with a record-breaking 2,512 exhibitors spread over an unprecedented 1.25 million net sq ft of exhibit space that welcomed more than 47,000 targeted buyers. That made PACK EXPO International and Pharma EXPOthe world's largest and most comprehensive processing and packaging show in 2016.

For example, Amcor Rigid Plastics collaborated with Netherlands-based Confrérie Clinique, a provider of smart packaging solutions, to develop an innovative pill dispensing system that delivers drug compliance, user friendliness, child and senior safety, and connection to any smartphone for easy tracking and monitoring. The S.M.R.T. Bottle is a pill dispensing system that includes a clock-calendar function and unit-dose tablet detector. It registers the time and date and number of doses taken from the bottles and stores the data. Using devices such as Near Field Communication (NFC) readers, the information contained in the memory can be read, displayed, and transmitted to any smartphone.

The container combines the benefits of a blister pack and a bottle in one package. Its two-piece assembly can be designed for any pill bottle and existing filling lines with no changes required to the sealing process. Amcor injection-molds the PP insert, which is custom-designed to match the tablet geometry. The dispenser’s electronic system, custom designed and built by Confrérie Clinique, counts pills going in or out of the bottle, tracks the temperature of the container, and ensures product integrity. It is equipped with a near frequency network communication and connected to a smartphone app that can be viewed by a physician or caregiver to ensure patient medication compliance.

The electronic pill dispenser is currently undergoing field trials at leading pharmaceutical companies and Amcor expects the system to be commercialized in 2017.

Blister cartons for pharma regulation-compliant CR and TE
Igb developed and industrialized an innovative child-resistant (CR) folding box that looks like a regular folding box and has a locking system. The box comes with a key: without the key, it cannot be opened. If the key is lost, the box can be easily opened by adults with everyday objects like a pen cap. Children under five are not able to do that. The Igb Child Resistant Folding Box is made of a tear-resistant board that children cannot rip open and relocks automatically when closed.

All the packaging parts are connected, making the whole box a primary package. This makes it suitable to be qualified as child-resistant packaging according to U.S. regulations. The CR box was designed to be mass packaged on standard pharmaceutical packaging lines and does not require investments in machinery. It complies with Directive 2011/62/EU and FDA requirements defining and requiring tamper evidence for pharmaceutical products. The folding box does not need glue or labels, removing two sources of production line delays.

Automation in cannabis packaging
The show floor was abuzz with talk about how best to serve the booming cannabis market with automation technology typically reserved for higher-volume products such as coffee and pharmaceuticals. ArcView Market Research estimated in its “State of Legal Marijuana Markets” report that if the recreational initiatives passed (eight of nine did), the legal cannabis market could reach $11 billion in 2018 and $22 billion by 2020.
Suppliers and end users talked most about the following technologies:

• Weighing, filling and sealing machines for bagged flower
• Pill presses
• Cans and bag seals for flower product freshness
• Filling and bottle labelers for consumer-sized plastic bottles
• Senior-friendly, child-resistant packaging design
• Environmentally friendly packaging materials

Also up for debate is how employers will deal with drug testing moving forward as marijuana becomes legal medically or recreationally. As each state has its own laws, policies may depend on which state the employee resides in.

Blister packs for liquid and semi-liquid doses
After three years of development, Klöckner Pentaplast debuted their LiquiGuard™ solution for packaging liquid and semi-liquid doses at PACK EXPO. Their client needed a non-stick packaging solution that could resist high temperatures, prevent dehydration and agglomeration, retain flavor, and still maintain child resistance. LiquiGuard takes advantage of the inherent benefits of liquids by creating an easy to swallow/drink single dose that can be conveniently and discretely stored. The packaging is easily customizable and can also aid in adherence.

Standard blister packs poseproblems with liquid dosing as they typically cannot withstand hot filling, they may interact with the product to alter flavor and appearance, and they may not be able to run economically. Working with their sponsors, Klöckner developed a multi-layered solution. The barrier layer needed to be easy to thermoform, yet resilient enough to remain unaltered. They also needed to create new tooling and fabrication machines, filling techniques, and lid stock. They landed on a resin with high temperature resistance, controlled shrinkage, and low leachability.

Optima dazzles with 3D and virtual reality
3D imaging of equipment wowed visitors at the show, where Optima Pharma and Optima Life Science unveiled turnkey projects as well as new and flexible machines using virtual reality via on-site simulations at its “VR-Box.”

The pharmaceutical 3D projects included large systems it has implemented for filling and sealing under an isolator. The company is also building complete lines that include e-beam, closing, freeze-drying and secondary packaging.

The company says, “Turnkey projects can be as big as a mid-sized family house. Here Virtual Reality can be a great help for discussions with the customer while project engineering is still going on. You can ‘zoom’ into the machine, walk through it and see all details before they are built in metal.”

LAST CHANCE TO SAVE! New Tech for Life Sciences at PACK EXPO Southeast
The exciting new PACK EXPO Southeast 2025 unites all vertical markets in one dynamic hub, generating more innovative answers to packaging challenges for life sciences products. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity for your business!
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LAST CHANCE TO SAVE! New Tech for Life Sciences at PACK EXPO Southeast