Bespak & H&T Presspart Enter Collaboration Agreement to Advance Transition to Low GWP Propellants in pMDIs


Bespak and H&T Presspart recently announced a collaboration to accelerate the industry’s transition from existing pressurized Metered Dose Inhaler (pMDI) formulations to more climate-friendly alternatives utilizing low global warming potential (GWP) propellants.

The partnership will bring rapid access to small-scale filling capabilities in GMP conditions to support development programs and clinical trials with both HFA-152a and HFO-1234ze propellants. The collaboration leverages H&T Presspart’s expertise in inhalation product development, the company’s low GWP filling equipment and market-leading portfolio of componentry, and Bespak’s expertise and leading position in valves as well as its formulation development expertise and finished product manufacturing capability. The partnership will accelerate industry understanding and customer success in the reformulation and commercialization of products with a significantly lower environmental footprint.

Chris Hirst, CEO of Bespak, said “We are committed to leading the transition to low GWP propellants in pMDIs, and in collaboration with H&T Presspart, we are proud to be able to offer a unique combination of capabilities and expertise to support our customers to transition as efficiently as possible. This partnership is significant in that we can offer development with both sustainable propellant options within a matter of weeks, no matter what the customer’s stage of product development when they commence work with us. Our goal is to transition as many pMDI products as possible to meet the requirements of evolving global legislation, and we believe in working together across the industry to achieve this goal – which not only helps protect the planet, but also safeguards patient access to inhaler options.”

Christian Krätzig, President of H&T Presspart, added “This collaboration underlines H&T Presspart’s core strategic commitment to support the industry in creating more sustainable inhalation products for future generations. As two companies who have navigated the last major change from CFC to HFA propellants, we are pleased to bring together our expertise and capabilities to accelerate the current transition. With our combined team of experts, breadth of development services and market-leading portfolio of componentry, our customers can be confident they are in safe hands as they make the transition to more sustainable pMDIs.”

 Bespak is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on inhaled and nasal drug delivery devices and drug-device combination products. Bespak develops and manufactures finished pharmaceutical products, as well as being a leading global supplier of drug delivery devices and componentry to the pharmaceutical industry. Bespak supplies a major proportion of the world’s pMDI dosing valves and actuators, and also specializes in the industrialization and high-volume manufacture of complex dry powder inhaler (DPI) devices.

Headquartered in Holmes Chapel, UK, the company’s service offering spans early-stage feasibility, analytical services and product development, from pilot-scale, through to clinical supply and commercial-scale drug product fill-finish, device and component manufacturing. Bespak’s Holmes Chapel site has a long history in the development, scale-up and clinical and commercial supply of inhalers going back to the 1960s, and has recently made significant investments in commercial-scale and pilot-scale filling equipment for the manufacture of pMDIs using low GWP propellant HFA-152a, as well as being the first CDMO to manufacture a pMDI at commercial scale with HFO-1234ze, a near-zero GWP propellant. More information: www.bespak.com

H&T Presspart is a market leading manufacturer of drug delivery devices and components with more than 50 years’ experience and enjoys a worldwide reputation for competence, quality, and innovation in the pharmaceutical market. As a global leader in the Inhalation market, H&T provides integrated solutions to support the industry transition to low GWP propellants.  Combined with a wide portfolio of components and device solutions, H&T Presspart offers product development and analytical services to accelerate route to market of customers’ drug delivery programs. As one of the first in the industry, H&T Presspart unveiled an investment to establish a filling facility equipped to fill metered-dose inhalers with low GWP propellants in 2022. H&T Presspart has 4 European manufacturing sites in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK and has sales representation in China, India, the US, and Uruguay. For more information, visit www.presspart.com.