The deal allows Serum Institute of India to become Schott’s Indian joint venture partner for pharmaceutical packaging supply in the region

Serum

An employee at SCHOTT Kaisha’s production facility in Jambusar inspects two glass vials. (Credit: SCHOTT/Alexander Sell)

Serum Institute of India (SII), a provider of vaccines and biologics, has purchased a 50% interest in Schott Kaisha from former co-owners Kairus Dadachanji and Shapoor Mistry for an undisclosed sum.

The deal allows SII to become Schott’s Indian joint venture partner for pharmaceutical packaging supply in the region.

Schott Kaisha is engaged in the manufacturing of pharma packaging products such as vials, syringes, ampoules and cartridges suitable for packaging life-saving medications.

The firm’s Daman facility produces all types of ampoules and vials ranging from 1ml to 150ml. It also manufactures siliconised vials and cartridges, as well as sterile (ready to fill) vials, cartridges and syringes in both bulk and nested solutions.

With advanced robotic and camera inspection capabilities, the company’s Jambusar facility in Baroda is engaged in the production of ampoules and vials.

In addition, the company’s Umarsadi facility is used for the manufacturing of primary packaging solutions.

SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said: “Even the best medication can’t reach the patient without the right packaging. Securing this supply chain is of strategic importance. SCHOTT is the perfect partner for us to do this because of their expertise and global network.

“As a longtime customer, we use their vials, ampoules and syringes to store our vaccines including Covishield. Working even closer together is in the best interest of global health.”

Schott Kaisha will continue to supply its packaging products to customers in India and overseas, according to the company’s new managing director Eric L’Heureux.

In a statement, Heureux said: “We have significantly increased our production capacity in India. Over the last three years, we have invested roughly INR 600 crores to set up two new plants in Umarsadi, Gujarat and Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, and to secure uninterrupted supply in our existing facilities during the pandemic.”

SII has developed and manufactured vaccines such as Covishield and Covovax. It has filled and supplied hundreds of millions of doses to India and the world.

Schott is also offering glass vials to major vaccine manufacturers across the world. It already exceeded the target of delivering vials for over two billion vaccine doses through this year.