Lionville, Pa. – August 1, 2011 – West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST), a global leader in innovative system and component solutions for injectable drug administration, today announced the availability of a new line of steam-sterilized plungers for prefillable glass syringes.
Westar® Ready-to-Use (RU) steam-sterilized plungers can mitigate risk for chemical and physical deterioration of plungers through an optimized steam sterilization cycle that, when compared to high-dose gamma irradiation, may:
- Minimize impact on elastomers’ physical characteristics and on chemical oxidation and degradation during the plungers’ shelf-life
- Decrease the number and lower the levels of extractables, with less potential for interaction between the plunger and the drug
- Improve prefilled syringe functionality due to lower and more consistent break loose forces
“Choosing Westar RU steam plungers can streamline the manufacturing process by moving many of the processes related to closure preparation, including sterilization and washing, from the drug manufacturer to West,” said Tibor Hlobik, Associate Director, Marketing, PFS Technologies. “This can help manufacturers move their product to market faster in a high-quality system that helps mitigate risk.”
The Westar RU steam sterilization process is fully validated and backed by West’s technical and regulatory expertise. Plungers are available for rapid order fulfillment in market-proven formulations from West and its long-time partner, Daikyo Seiko, Ltd. The plungers fit standard prefillable syringes and comply with United States, European and Japanese pharmacopeias.
About West
West’s innovative system, device and component solutions help improve the safety and administration of injectable drugs. West’s proprietary materials science, formulation research and manufacturing technologies advance the quality, therapeutic value, development speed and rapid market availability of pharmaceuticals, biologics and vaccines. West supports its customers from facilities in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit www.westpharma.com. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WestPharma.
About Daikyo Seiko, Ltd.
Founded in 1954, Daikyo Seiko is Japan’s leading manufacturer of high-quality pharmaceutical delivery system components, and has built a strong reputation for materials and manufacturing innovation. Daikyo’s products include Flurotec® coated serum and lyophilization stoppers, syringe plungers and tip caps, and Daikyo Crystal Zenith® vials and syringe barrels.
West’s long-standing partnership with Daikyo Seiko, Ltd., has strengthened both companies’ ability to serve their respective global pharmaceutical customers. The relationship has enabled West and Daikyo to develop products that help customers mitigate drug product development risks and enhance patient safety. For more information, visit http://www.daikyoseiko.jp/english/index.html.
