Corning collaborates for Merck & Co and Pfizer-tested vials
US firm Corning did not disclose details of the agreements, but said the firms' technologies are available to manufacture Corning Valor Glass for the pharmaceutical industry.
According to Corning, Valor Glass is chemically durable with a uniform drug contacting surface, and is resistant to damage, breakage and cracks.
Valor Glass “reduces glass particulate generation and enables smoother filling operations,” a Corning spokesperson told in-PharmaTechnologist.
“Any pharmaceutical company that purchases primary packaging to store and deliver injectable drugs can benefit from the attributes of Valor Glass,” said the spokesperson.
Big pharma tested
On July 20, Corning announced testing collaborations with Merck & Co and Pfizer, used to introduce Corning Valor Glass to the industry.
“Deep pharmaceutical formulation and manufacturing process insights from Merck and Pfizer, in combination with Corning’s glass science and precision forming capabilities helped deliver an exceptional glass packaging solution for injectable drugs in vials and cartridges,” said Corning.
Money & jobs
Corning has made an initial investment of $500m (€426m), which it plans to increase to $4bn.
The firm did not disclose details regarding the pricing of Valor Glass packaging, but said “like many new technologies, early adoption requires modest investment for our customers.”
“In the long term, we anticipate there will be a net neutral manufacturing efficiency gain for our customers,” the spokesperson told us.
The firm has created 1,000 US-based jobs to date, and hopes to boost headcount by 3,000.
