LABLABO Inaugurates New Production Site

Based since 1971 close to Annemasse, France, LABLABO, a world leader in airless metering dispensers, has recently announced the celebrated the opening of its brand new production site. Jean-Philippe Taberlet, pharmacist and CEO, explains:

Why a new production site?

First of all, we wanted to gather our activities, which were divided on three different sites. We also needed more space to increase capacity in order to support our expansion. Moreover, we were willing to offer to our pharmaceutical and cosmetic customers new facilities corresponding to GMP requirements.

What are these requirements?

Mainly, they mean a clean room: air filtration (total air volume is filtered every 6 minutes), walls, and ceilings are completely airtight, which pressurizes the clean room hence avoiding any contamination. Temperature and moisture level remain constant. All these parameters are controlled and recorded continuously. Materials and personnel entrance are separated, personnel having to go through interlocks and airshowers. Components flow is computer-managed (barcodes). The entire production area complies with ISO norm 8 but also with GMP, D Class since microbiological contamination is controlled. Wooden pallets and cardboard boxes are not allowed. Further than this: the most important operations, such as manufacturing of our Easyfoil pouches, are performed on closed lines, including their own laminar airflow, which enables us to comply to ISO 5.

Is this quality level mandatory for packaging?

As far as pharmaceuticals products are concerned, you need to differentiate secondary packaging (soft box) from primary packaging (which is in contact with the product). The latter, under a regulatory point of view, is part of the drug: the pharmaceutical file includes a lot of requirements amongst which leachables or warranty of perfect protection until use. As far as primary packaging is concerned, ISO norm 15378 defines the required quality level. LABLABO has obtained this certification in 2010. But we felt we needed to go a step further: our customers having to abide by GMP requirements, we had to offer the packaging corresponding to this quality level.

What about the cosmetic industry?

For the moment, the required quality level is higher in the pharmaceutical industry. But this is changing. A new European regulation will be implemented in July, which will mean an important move. No doubt that the quality level of the cosmetic industry will reach the pharmaceutical one.

What did it mean when building this new site?

It meant a lot. It meant a significant investment counting for about more than 1 million euros. Operating costs will also be higher, because of course it is not only the initial cost that needed to be adapted to this requirement but also the everyday quality system functioning.

What are the capacities of this new site?

The overall surface is 4.000 m2, out of which 1.200 m2 dedicated for the clean room, on a 7.500 m2 ground. When transferring the production site, we also added two assembly lines for pumps and Easyfoil pouch bottles for our new line: Ellipse. This now means a capacity of more than 40 million units for pumps, 35 million for pouches (15 million for EasyFoil), and 12 million for valves. Beyond this, the new site is able to receive equipments enabling to increase capacities by 50%, knowing that the unused ground would also enable doubling the current surface.

How is your current activity?

We realize a turnover of 12 million euros, with 80% abroad: the French market being in fourth position, behind the UK, US, and Belgium. This is equally shared between pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Our airless metering dispensers are particularly preferred for products requiring low dosage (hormones), sensitive formulas (oxidation), or natural products (less preservatives). Our metered valve, which is our very first product, is used for foam products needing to be precisely dosed.

How do you envision your future?

The principal aim of LABLABO remains technical innovation, an increased protection of the contained formula, including during shelf-life. The success of our Easyfoil leads us to continue working toward this goal: after the launch of Ellipse, we also have other projects around concept HEAD (High Efficiency Airless Dispenser) combining multilayer foil pouch and a self-sealing pump.

Contacts:

Sophie Montessuit : s.montessuit@lablabo.fr Tel : +33 (0)4 50 95 46 34

Claire Berthouze : c.berthouze@lablabo.fr Tel : +33 (0)4 50 92 92 68