The investment will support the installation and validation of two Dividella NeoTOPx packaging systems in Sharp’s US and Belgium sites
The investment enhances Sharp’s equipment capabilities in biologics and injectables packaging. Credit: Jens P. Raak from Pixabay.
Contract packaging and clinical supply services firm Sharp has invested $10m to enhance its equipment capabilities in biologics and injectables packaging.
The investment will support the installation and validation of two Dividella NeoTOPx packaging systems.
Sharp intends to install the systems in its Allentown facility in the US and at its Hamont-Achel site in Belgium.
The Dividella NeoTOPx system is said to be an automated top-loading cartoner designed for packaging vials, syringes, and multi-component kits. It is considered to be suitable for small-batch production.
NeoTOPx systems can facilitate large standardised packaging runs for vaccines
Furthermore, NeoTOPx systems are said to be capable of facilitating large standardised packaging runs for vaccines. Due to harmonised serialisation platforms, the systems are expected to enhance Sharp’s capacity to cater to global demand.
Dividella NeoTOPx system, with its modular design, is said to provide better flexibility in production line design. Additionally, the top-loading function offers improved visibility for each component, thereby enhancing compliance and control.
This system also supports the company’s sustainability initiative by minimising the use of plastic blisters with full cardboard designs of the packs.
Sharp chief commercial officer Jeff Benedict said: “Sharp has seen sustained demand for our packaging capabilities from clients across the biotech industry. The sector is increasingly focused on developing treatments for orphan diseases as well as personalised therapies and these are driving a need for more flexible and smaller batch capabilities in the packaging space.
“Investing in these new Dividella’s will allow us to offer greater capacity to clients both in the US and in the EU, for the secondary packaging of vials, pen devices, syringes and multicomponent kits as well as medical devices and blisters.”
The Allentown site is also installing a NJM Courser 230 Vial and Syringe Labeler in a bid to cut down time between batches.
Sharp invested a total of $21m to scale up its capacity and capabilities at its Biotechnology Center of Excellence in Allentown. It also invested $11m on developing syringe assembly and cold chain capabilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the US.