Advances in prefilled syringes’ technology

Prefilled syringes are a fast growing alternatives to vials for many drug products. Increased interest in prefilled syringes is largely driven by the advantages they offer relative to the vials. Currently, most prefilled syringes are made of glass, but plastic syringes are gaining popularity, particularly in applications for which glass is an unsuitable delivery system. Plastic has been an alternative to glass in prefilled syringes since the early 1990’s. Earliest plastics were, however, made of polypropylene which did not offer the clarity of glass, many of its barrier properties or ease of sterilization. Polypropylene plastics also presented more challenges regards to extractables and leachables than glass due to the lack of historic data. Polymers are considered to get weathered due to the direct or indirect impact of heat and ultraviolet light. The effectiveness of the stabilizers against weathering depends on solubility, ability to stabilize in different polymer matrix, the distribution in matrix, evaporation loss during processing and use. Various stabilizers used as stabilizers for polymers are antioxidants like benzofuranones, and UV absorbers like oxanilides for polyamides, benzophenones for PVC, benzotriazoles for polycarbonate are used. Manufacturers have developed a new polymer such as cyclo olefin copolymer that are able to hold against glass. Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) is an amorphous polymer made by several polymer manufacturers. COC is a relatively new class of polymers when compared to polypropylene and polyethylene. An analysis done for the comparison of drug stability in glass versus plastic containers is also been covered in this paper.