CSP Technologies has launched the Activ-Blister solution, an innovative technology that can protect solid dosage form drugs sensitive to moisture and oxygen. 
    Francois Bidet, the EMEA Business Development Director of CSP Technologies, a leading packaging solutions provider that ensures product protection, enhances brand awareness and improves   consumer experience, delivered a keynote speech on the topic of drug efficacy and compliance at the 2017 Smart Packaging Conference held in Cologne, Germany on September 19-20, 2017. 
Mr. Bidet's presentation was titled "Extending the Shelf Life of Transdermal Patches and Oral Solid Dosage Forms and Simplifying Packaging by Managing Headspace with Engineering Polymers," which introduced CSP Technologies' approach to addressing the headspace challenge, including the ingress of moisture and oxygen, whose negative effects could reduce the efficacy of the drugs.
Although they are two very different drug delivery platforms, oral solid dosage forms and transdermal patches may face similar headspace packaging issues that affect shelf life; in addition to the ingress of moisture and oxygen, exposure to certain conditions may lead to the formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other gases, which may interact with the drug product and capsules, thereby adversely affecting drug stability. 
      Solution
    When used in small spaces such as bags and blisters, CSP Technologies can provide management solutions without the need for adhesives or cleaning. Loose small bags or cans, etc., can meet a wide range of desiccant and cleaning needs. CSP Technologies has developed Activ-Film™ and Activ-Blister™ materials to achieve management. CSP Technologies' Activ-Film™ technology can be used to control residual humidity or oxygen levels, eliminate odors or reduce the content of certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in packaging. Solutions can be designed to address specific   problems or multiple problems simultaneously.

    Similarly, CSP Technologies' Activ-Blister™ solution helps control the internal atmosphere of existing individual blisters, thereby improving product performance and extending shelf life. This technology provides moisture, oxygen and combined absorption, and can be applied without adhesives and without changing the existing footprint of the packaging line. The Activ-Blister™ solution      can be incorporated into various thermoforming packaging forms, including extruded blisters, peel/push blisters, cold-formed foil and ultra-high barrier films.

Another solution enabled by CSP Technologies' Activ-Polymer™ technology is the company's Activ-Vial™ product line, which is a series of containers consisting of one-piece, flip-top desiccant bottles and various sizes of bottles. Activ-Vial™ provides a leak-proof seal with the attached cap, which will not be lost or misplaced. Activ-Vial™ contains a designed desiccant cylinder that controls the humidity around the product to improve product stability. Container sizes range from 6 to 166 milliliters.

      Activ-Blister Blisters Solution
    CSP Technologies' Activ-Blister™ solution is an innovative technology that protects solid dosage form drugs sensitive to moisture and oxygen.

    CSP Technologies' CSP Activ-Blister material protects solid dosage form drugs sensitive to moisture and oxygen when packaged on thermoforming-filling-sealing and filling-sealing equipment. Using silica gel and molecular sieve technology, the blisters produced can absorb a certain amount of water vapor, oxygen or a combination of both, and are made in various shapes and sizes to accommodate any tablet and capsule sizes.

    CSP Technologies' Activ-Blister solution can control the internal atmosphere of existing individual blisters, thereby improving product performance and extending shelf life. It provides moisture, oxygen and combined absorption, and can be applied without adhesives and without changing the existing footprint of the packaging line. The Activ-Blister solution can be incorporated into various blister packaging forms, including extruded blisters, peel/push blisters, cold-formed foil and high-barrier films containing Aclar® laminates.

    For drug manufacturers and contract packagers, the Activ-Blister solution enables drug manufacturers and packagers to achieve high levels of moisture protection without the need for expensive cold-formed foil. Eliminating cold-formed foil can also reduce the footprint of the blister, reducing the size by 40-60%, and making the tablets/capsules more visible in the blister cavity. In addition, products that are typically packaged in bottles with desiccant bags can now be thermoformed into blister cards without reducing moisture protection. The shift from bottles to blisters effectively eliminates the additional costs associated with gas flushing/purging and secondary packaging in small bags. Craig Voellmicke, Vice President of Business Development at CSP Technologies, said: "The use of adhesive-free technology to integrate precise desiccants and/or gas absorbers into each blister can prevent products from being affected by moisture, oxygen and odors. Additionally, compared to cold-formed foil and standard thermoforming solutions, the products have a longer shelf life."
    CSP Technologies has decades of experience in providing customized polymer and packaging solutions for companies around the world and currently offers the globally leading Activ-Vial product for pharmaceutical and diagnostic applications.