Packaging is one area which not only helps in creation of wealth,
preserving product quality, but also lengthens the shelf life of
products. In the recent times, one area of packaging that has witnessed
drastic changes is pharmaceutical packaging. Sophisticated drug
products, development of new drug diagnostics, stringent government
requirements, large growing middle class, liberalization, growth of
organized retail and increase in number of prominent players with new
emerging markets have increased the demand for pharmaceutical packaging
materials worldwide. Packaging design today provides stability and shelf
life to the drug and the delivery system, which becomes fundamental to
the safety, convenience and compliance of drug use.
Growing market
In
India,pharmaceutical packaging today occupies a significant portion of
the overall drugs market. Earlier, the requirements of pharmaceutical
packaging focused exclusively on preserving the quality of enclosed
medication. Now, they are extended to cover such criteria as prevention
of product tampering and counterfeiting, assurance of product dispensing
accuracy and promotion of patient compliance with product dosage
schedules. Therefore we have a variety of packaging available in the
pharmaceutical arena which includes glass, pet bottles, strip and
blister packs, injectables, ampoules, bulk packs etc.
Due to the
unique requirements of pharma products, pharmaceutical companies have
to keep in mind the quality of drug at the time of delivery. They have
also to look at ways to increase shelf life while designing the
packaging for products.
Today the highest demand for packaging
and associated equipment comes from food processing industry which is at
50 %, while 25 % comes from the pharmaceutical industry. Beside the US,
Western Europe and Japan other countries who are progressing strongly
in pharmaceutical packaging are India, China and Brazil. (Source:
www.indiapackagingshow.com)
The global pharmaceutical packaging
industry studies show that by 2011 pharmaceutical packaging industry is
expected to grow by 5.9% per annum and is predicted to reach $34
billion mark within 2011. (Source: www.economywatch.com). While as per
the Mckinsey Report, Indian pharma packaging is expected to reach US$ 50
billion by 2015.
Trends & innovations
As drug
producing sectors upgrade and diversify, packaging market is also
witnessing a rapid growth. Pharma companies now-a-days are responsible
and understand the market trends and needs. Also with companies adopting
the FMCG model, packaging is no more being neglected in the
pharmaceutical sector. The global pharma packaging is witnessing mainly
the following trends:
? Sophisticated packaging requirements for
new products and bio-tech products: Recently Catalent Pharma announced
that henceforth it will offer media-enhanced packaging to its drug maker
clients. The packaging contains coding by which consumers can connect
via smart phone to product content in addition to what they can already
see on a drug's label, printed packaging and inserts. The manufacturing
and packaging contractor sees the technology as a way to give clients'
products a leg up on crowded retail shelves. This kind of innovative and
sophisticated packaging by Catalent aims to better inform and engage
consumers.
? Cost-reduction in packaging across the globe: As many
products are coming off patents, this in turn translates into is a big
emergence in generic and licensed products. One apt example of cost
reduction which reflects the innovative capability of the Indian pharma
industry is of Jumbo Bangs LTD. This Chennai - based company, after
intensive research and development developed bags with corrugated
linings. These bags developed for the first time in the country can hold
weight from 500 kgs to 2000 kgs. The company embarked on developing
this latest packaging keeping in mind some of the manufacturing
companies, which had bulk packing requirements. The company had targeted
the bulk drug manufacturing companies as their requirements were almost
on similar lines as that of the other manufacturing companies. Since
the latter were still using drums the company felt that the superior
quality bags would ease pressure on the bulk drug companies. In doing so
they managed to do away with the large number of drums and replaced
them with the polypropylene bags. The new packaging bag had the same
stackability however it had an added advantage. It could be folded when
not in use which was not possible while using drums. On the pricing
front, a drum costs Rs. 120 to Rs. 150. If a company were to go in for
30 drums, taking the price at the minimum, the total cost would be Rs.
3600. The bag manufactured by Jumbo Bags would cost only Rs. 2500.
?
Demand for Over The Counter Drugs: Another area which is gaining
enough popularity and witnessing a stupendous increase in demand is for
OTC drugs. OTC or over-the-counter medicines are those which do not
require a doctor’s prescription. Products like food supplements, pain
killers, cough syrups, food supplements, oral contraceptives etc are
literally flying off the chemist’s shelves. The main reason for this
kind of popularity is because of the change in consumer’s attitude,
increase in awareness levels and easy accessibility of medicines.
Revital – the health supplement drugs from Ranbaxy and Sensodyne (a
range of oral care products for sensitive teeth) from GlaxoSmithKline’s
are some of the drugs which were turned from prescription drugs to OTC
products.
? Increasing importance of packaging amongst ayurvedic
brands: Another interesting area which has witnessed a sea change is the
ayurvedic drugs/ brands. Ayurvedic companies are now giving more
importance to brand identity, packaging etc. For example Himalaya, a
company that is known for its wellness products such as Liv-52 and
Bonnisan was fighting for shelf space with leading FMCG brands. Since
its target audience is mostly the modern consumers who are willing to
pay for the products, the brand went for a complete design and packaging
makeover in order to appeal the consumers alike. A common look was
given to all the products. Attention was also paid on the designs of the
bottles.
? Emphasis on enhancing consumer consumption: A major
trend that is being witnessed in the pharmaceutical industry is that
companies are now looking at innovative ways to enhance consumer
experience.
What the future holds?
According to the
GBI’s research report, the global pharmaceutical industry is currently
witnessing rapid expansion with advances in manufacturing processes,
technology innovation and integration, which is the main driving force
behind the growth of pharmaceutical packaging industry globally. The
growth is likely to be high in emerging economies of India and China,
primarily on account of increasing generics and contract manufacturing
activities in these countries.
The fastest growth in
pharmaceutical packaging market is expected from prefillable syringes
and parenteral vials, which will continue to expand as advances in
biotechnology result in the introduction of new therapies that must be
injected. The increasing demand for biologics will boost the demand for
innovative product packaging solutions in the global pharmaceutical
packaging market. Also, with more than $120 billion worth of drugs going
off-patent in the next five years, generic drug manufacturers will
emerge as a major segment driving demand for pharmaceutical packaging.
Nanotechnology,
the science of very small materials, is poised to have a big impact in
pharmaceutical packaging and will enable it to bring innovative and new
generation packaging solutions to market. The increasing demand for
drug delivery devices and blister packaging will also give a boost to
the pharmaceutical packaging Industry. The global market for
nano-enabled packaging for blisters was $941 million in 2008 and is
expected to grow to $2.10 billion by 2014.
To conclude, India
Pharma Packaging industry has come a long way and is due for more
growth. With globalization many MNC’s in the field are setting up their
manufacturing bases in India. It will further revolutionise the pharma
packaging market in India. Increasing availability of better quality
technology and new packaging machines in the country are some of the
reasons for this rapid growth. Also the tremendous rise in health
awareness amongst people will continue to create more demand for
hygienic, tamper resistant and use and throw packaging in the future.
The author is Corporate Manager – Tata Elxsi