The newly designed EZ-fill Smart™ packaging platform from Gerresheimer and Stevanato will share the same secondary packaging, production process and sterilization method, ensuring a consistent product availability and a risk-free, reliable supply chain.

Gerresheimer is presenting the new and innovative ready-to-fill vial platform, EZ-fill Smart™, a solution designed to improve drug packaging quality, reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and shorten lead times for customers. The new EZ-fill Smart™ is an evolution of the standard EZ-fill platform, and it brings new advancements that drive appreciable improvements for customers amid growing demand for ready-to-fill vials.

The EZ-fill Smart™ platform leverages increased automation throughout the manufacturing flow to increase productivity and reduce human errors. The optimized platform features no glassto-glass and no glass-to-metal contact which improves quality and integrity of the vials throughout the product life cycle. The redesigned secondary packaging has yielded a significant reduction of particle risks during customers’ operations, delivering substantially improved quality.

The new EZ-fill Smart™ now offers the market an alternative sterilization method that is safe and more environmentally friendly compared to traditional Ethylene Oxide (EtO) sterilization. Intended to be perfectly suited for primary packaging solutions in use with highly sensitive drugs, it also incorporates guidelines given by regulatory bodies supporting the current direction to replace EtO sterilization.

EZ-fill Smart™ pursues combined sustainability approaches by increasing the packaging efficiency, the implementation of a new eco-friendly sterilization method, and the use of biopolymers and recycled plastic.

Developed in close cooperation with major machine vendors, EZ-fill Smart™ ensures a proven seamless integration with standard fill & finish operations. The platform also accommodates both small and large batch production. The implemented advancements guarantee the processability on filling lines with the primary aim to facilitate the complete automation of the in-feeding process.

Along with the nest & tub configuration, EZ-fill Smart™ will also be available in tray configuration to support and accelerate the conversion from bulk to Gx® RTF vials that is already underway in the market.