Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the pharma industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked pharma packaging solutions.
Out of 127, the Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Pharma Packaging Solutions
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2 093 000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 127 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 packaging startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 122 pharma packaging solutions, get in touch.
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Veneti develops Pharmaceutical Standard Films
Pharmaceutical products are highly reactive, meaning exposure to heat, light, air, and moisture all negatively affect their efficacy. Hence, medical products are isolated using containers or blisters that are kept at or below room temperature. At the same time, low-quality packaging and poor handling cause a significant amount of medicine wastage. To tackle this challenge, startups develop enhanced packaging solutions that protect pharma products better than conventional materials, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Veneti is a Polish startup that offers pharmaceutical-grade films. The startup uses different combinations of high-barrier PVC, polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and polyethylene (PE) to customize material properties. For instance, PVDC is brittle when solidified, but the startup’s material provides improved mechanical and insulation parameters along with adequate flexibility. It also has very low gas permeability and isolates products from the external environment, thus making it ideal for pharmaceutical packaging. Similarly, Veneti offers food-grade and generic packaging films.
Unipharm Healthy Manufacturing provides Contract Pharmaceuticals Packaging
Pharmaceutical packaging requires compliance with regulatory laws as well as needs expert personnel in developing new materials and manufacturing. This leads to high capital expenditure for pharma companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs). To this end, startups offer contract packaging services for drug manufacturers that do not require upfront costs and significantly reduce the products’ time-to-market.
New Zealand-based startup Unipharm Healthy Manufacturing offers contract pharmaceutical packaging along with labeling and distribution. The startup’s packaging service includes various final presentations such as bulk, bottles, tubes, blisters, and pots for all solid and liquid dosage forms. This service saves time and capital for small and medium pharma companies as the startup readily provides the required machinery and personnel to package drugs.
V-Shapes offers Single-Portion Packets
Single-serve packaging is essential in the pharma industry to pack various liquids and solids. However, filling and using these packages increases the chances of spillage, which affects net dosage. For example, while opening a liquid medicine packet, applying more force than required will cause spillage. To avoid this, startups provide innovative single-portion packaging solutions that reduce medicine wastage and aid consumers in adhering to the correct dosage requirements.
Italian startup V-Shapes develops single-portion packets for the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. The startup’s vacuum packaging extends the product’s shelf life and reduces volume. Moreover, V-Shapes packets are easy to use as they require only three fingers to open and apply, providing better control on dosage. Thanks to this, they promise a lower risk of soiling, spilling, and wasting the content. Besides, the packets are eco-friendly as they use bio-based and homopolymers as raw materials.
Blistr advances Biodegradable Pharma Packaging
While pharma packaging consists of a wide range of materials, plastic is a necessary component. Therefore, it is integral for pharma companies and consumers to ensure proper management of packaging waste. Even then, much of this waste is forwarded to landfills, rather than recycling stations for various reasons, for instance, lack of reverse logistics services. This is why startups develop biodegradable packaging solutions for the pharma sector, enabling drug manufacturers to reduce their environmental impact.
Blistr is a UK-based startup that supplies blister packaging made from seaweed and plant materials for pharmaceutical packaging. The startup’s solution is plastic-free, biodegradable, home compostable, and ocean-friendly. This, in effect, enables pharma companies to eliminate plastic from their product offerings and adhere to sustainability goals. Besides, it allows consumers to control medical packaging waste in their homes too.
Calyx Containers develops Medical Cannabis Containers
As medicinal cannabis products get legalized across countries, their amount from both plant-based and synthetic sources is rising. Due to this, cannabis pharmaceutical markets are gaining traction, and so is the demand for effective and personalized packaging in that sector. To address this, startups now offer primary packaging tailored for cannabis-based products such as oils, gels, or raw plant materials.
US-based startup Calyx Containers makes packaging solutions for cannabis-infused products. The startup’s containers are rectangular and can be made transparent for increased product visibility. Additionally, they are resealable and made of recyclable materials as well as available in custom designs. Further, the containers lock into the same tray irrespective of the volume, streamlining the inventory system. In effect, this allows pharma companies to better connect with their customers and increase retention.
Discover more Pharma Startups
Pharma startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on sustainable packaging, personalized packaging, and high-barrier packaging. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the pharma industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more pharma technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Pharma Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
