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Specialty Pharma Offers New Single Doses with Liquid Cup Filling Machine

The introduction of a new liquid unit-dosing cup machine allows WES Pharma to offer a controlled substance in single doses without sacrificing floorspace.

The positive displacement pumping system features two programmable linear drive stepper-controlled stations, each with 50mL stainless steel syringes that are autoclavable.
The positive displacement pumping system features two programmable linear drive stepper-controlled stations, each with 50mL stainless steel syringes that are autoclavable.

Manufacturers and regulatory bodies are increasingly looking at the way packaging plays a role in proper dosing of controlled substances. WES Pharma Inc., a Maryland-based specialty pharmaceutical company, manufactures a controlled substance for oral dosage that, until recently, was distributed in 500 mL bottles. WES saw a need in the market to add single-use packaging for the low-viscosity liquid product.

“We were originally looking at our options and were planning to outsource the packaging of smaller dosages down to a quantity of 5 mL,” says Rick Ferguson, Director of Manufacturing at WES, which offers research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of both OTC and prescription generic products in liquid and solid form.

“We went to visit a contract packager where another product was being manufactured and decided that if a machine doesn’t take up much space, it would be ideal to bring packaging in-house,” he says.

Challenges and implementation
Floorspace and accuracy were key decision points for WES when they sought a new packaging machine. As Ferguson explains, “Because this is single-unit packaging and not multi-dose units, the biggest challenge is accuracy. There’s a regulatory requirement that the weight of 10 containers has to average out to 100% of target.”

Ferguson selected the FD-Pharma™ Series II from Medical Packaging Inc. for its accuracy and compact size. Designed for small pharmaceutical manufacturers and CDMOs, the machine offers dual-head, liquid unit-dose cup packaging at speeds up to 35 cups/min. All label information is printed online including both static information and variable data such as lot and expiration dates. Cups are composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with peelable sealant HDPE lidding.

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