Gerresheimer Expands to Include Irradiation of Plastic Dropper Bottles


Gerresheimer used this year’s Pharmapack held in Paris, Porte de Versailles, as a platform to unveil its latest ophthalmology and rhinology services. The company has teamed up with select certified partners to add surface finishing of plastic dropper bottles to their irradiation services.

“We want to make life easier for our customers when it comes to procuring their dropper bottles and, by treating our products with gamma radiation, we are adding in an important work step before filling,” says Niels Düring, Global Executive Vice President Plastic Packaging. “To help us in this, we are relying on selected, recognized, and certified partners.”

The chosen partner companies have the requisite certification in accordance with ISO standards 11137, 11737, and 13004.

The benefits of this service speak for themselves: Gerresheimer is assuming responsibility for handling this work step from start to finish, including transport to the irradiation company, monitoring and inspecting its work, and delivering to the location specified by the customer. The inspection processes also involve physically and chemically testing the product characteristics after irradiation. Gerresheimer regulates the validation and revalidation of the entire process, helping to reduce costs for the customer.

Gerresheimer’s range of ophthalmology and rhinology products encompasses bottles and dropper inserts made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with pump systems to match. Irradiation also ensures the products are germ-free. As a specialist in plastic packaging for the pharmaceutical industry, Gerresheimer offers a wide range of innovative packaging solutions for solid, liquid, and opthalmological products. All of the company’s primary packaging for the pharmaceutical industry is produced in ISO class 7 and class 8 cleanrooms at its plants in Vaerloese (Denmark) and Boles?awiec (Poland).

The population of viable microorganisms on the surface of a product and/or packaging is called the bioburden. The bioburden is determined in accordance with ISO 11737. Raw materials, components, packaging, and medical products are all investigated in order to gather information about the germ composition and level of germ contamination before treatment. A stable bioburden guarantees a successful irradiation process.

Gerresheimer is a leading global partner to the pharma and healthcare industry. With specialty glass and plastic products, the Company contributes to health and well-being. Gerresheimer operates worldwide and its approximately 10,000 employees manufacture products in local markets, close to its customers. With our plants in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, we generate revenues of approximately EUR 1.4 billion. The comprehensive product portfolio includes pharmaceutical packaging and products for the safe, simple administration of medicines: Insulin pens, inhalers, micropumps, prefillable syringes, injection vials, ampoules, bottles, and containers for liquid and solid medicines with closure and safety systems as well as packaging for the cosmetics industry. For more information, visit Gerresheimer Plastic Packaging Pharma.