The partnership marks UK-based Burgopak’s first foray into the US pharmaceutical packaging market, although its other divisions already have a presence in the nation.
Burgopak has had annual sales growth of 148 per cent, rising from £346,000 in 2005 to £5.3m in 2008, placing it sixth in the 2008 Sunday Times Fast Track 100.
This growth has been fueled by expansions into new geographic and product markets, which has increased usage of its patented sliding mechanism that the company believes confers a number of benefits to pharmaceutical manufacturers and patients.
Kirk Kaminsky, McKesson’s senior vice president, US Pharmaceutical Packaging, said: "McKesson is committed to delivering solutions that help improve patient health outcomes, and our new licensing agreement with Burgopak can enable us to do this by addressing many of the reasons why consumers are noncompliant when it comes to taking their medication."
Burgopak claims that the design of the packaging ensures that essential information is clearly displayed and that the leaflet is not separated from the product.
In addition the packaging’s design and the challenges posed in manufacturing it provide a deterrent to counterfeiters, according to Burgopak.
McKesson will manufacture the packaging under license, using Burgopak’s production machine that was designed by Bosch Sigpack.
This machine, which until now had not been used in the US, is capable of manufacturing more than 20m units a year, according to Burgopak.