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Global specialty glass maker Schott on Friday said it has delivered glass vials for over 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
The company said it looks to deliver vials for more than 2 billion vaccine doses during 2021.
The vials were delivered to projects around the world, with a focus on the US, Europe and Asia. Approximately 90 per cent of approved vaccines rely on Schott vials, a company statement said..
“The reaction of the pharmaceutical community to Covid-19 is a testament to the power of scientific progress,” said Frank Heinricht, CEO of Germany headquartered Schott AG.
“In just under a year, all previous records for vaccine development have been shattered by not just one, but several research groups. The entire industry is successfully working together to ensure an adequate supply. We’re also working with our government partners to evaluate ways to improve the supply chain and expand production capacity.”
Schott is one of the world’s leading producers of pharmaceutical containers made from borosilicate glass. This is the most proven and most widely available material used to store and deliver vaccines and other sensitive medications.
Schott’s global manufacturing footprint includes five sites dedicated to the manufacture of type-1 borosilicate glass tubes and another 16 plants converting the tubes into vials.
Schott has a manufacturing plant in Jambusar, Gujarat which is one of the five flagship pharmaceutical tubing production sites, to meet the demand in India and Asia.
Soaring demand
In order to meet the soaring demand for quality glass packaging products, Schott had expanded its local tubing production capacity by 20,000 tonnes within one year. This translates into enough glass for over 3 billion vials, the company said
Schott also has a 50:50 joint venture in India by the name of Schott-Kaisha — a market leader for manufacturing and supplying pharmaceutical packaging products in India.
“This past year, we have together witnessed the global pharmaceutical industry’s resilience and dedication to fight the novel Coronavirus,” said Pawan Kumar Shukla, President Schott Glass India.
“Despite the challenges faced, our India plant has operated in full capacity within strict safety guidelines, while supporting our global clients and growing workforce.”
The company had announced $1-billion global investment in pharmaceutical glass and packaging facilities early 2019 in response to rising worldwide demand for safer drug packaging. Despite the pandemic, all expansion projects are on track, it added.
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