The Perlen Packaging group has set its sights squarely on serving the pharmaceuticals sector through its film manufacturing and coating activities. Perlen Packaging is one of the world’s three biggest suppliers of coated plastic films for blister pack applications, serving a wide range of customers worldwide from its production plants in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. It’s a leading innovator, too – as the recent development of the pioneering PERLAMEDTM-BLISTair single-use powder inhaler confirmed.
Today’s pharmaceutical markets continue to experience swift and substantial growth, and the Perlen Packaging group, as one of its prime suppliers of coated films, is responding to these developments by further expanding its international operations. The group, which is part of the Swiss-based CPH (Chemie + Papier Holding AG) concern, now maintains manufacturing plants in Switzerland, Germany, China, the USA and Brazil. From these bases, the company offers a wide range of coated film products, which are firmly aligned to the pharmaceutical sector’s needs and fully compliant with its rigorous manufacturing demands.
Global reach and local care
It is in the “pharmerging” markets, such as China and Brazil, that the pharmaceutical sector is seeing the greatest growth. Europe, with its mature markets, is experiencing slower growth rates. Perlen Packaging still generates most of its sales in Europe, but it has steadily placed a stronger emphasis on developing its operations further afield over the last few years. The reasons are clear, while Perlen Packaging has always prided itself on its ability to deliver quality pharmaceutical films worldwide, this service can be enhanced by placing such activities on a more local or regional footing. It’s a strategy that benefits all of Perlen Packaging’s clients, from the regional subsidiaries of multinational corporations to more locally based manufacturers.
Sound credentials
For all its expansion plans and ambitions, Perlen Packaging has always drawn its strength from its sound and sustainable business approach. The group’s activities meet the highest standards in quality, hygiene and ecological terms. The group is deeply committed
to ensuring energy efficient and environmentally sound production, which is underlined with individual annual objectives.
The group applies the same high standards to its leadership approach. Management by objectives takes centre stage, along with trusting its employees and creating the working environment they need to get things done by giving them the requisite freedom and responsibilities to achieve their goals. Continuous improvement is accentuated, too, and is actively fostered throughout.
Expansion and enhancement
Driven by its principles and strategic ambitions, Perlen Packaging is aiming to raise its annual turnover to more than CHF 200m ($198.3m) within the next three years. Its international expansions are certainly a step in this direction. After building a new coating plant in Suzhou, China in 2016, the company opened a new operation in Anápolis in Brazil last year.
However, the developments are not all to do with expansion. Perlen Packaging also puts a strong emphasis on refining its products and processes, to maintain a competitive edge. The full Perlen Packaging range, from medium- to high-barrier products, has been steadily and constantly enhanced. This is one of the reasons the group is now the market leader in high-barrier films for blister pack applications.
Changing trends
No industry stands still, and while it currently focuses on providing coated films for solid-dose applications, Perlen Packaging is aware that packaging solutions are also required for dry powders (such as asthma inhalers) and liquid doses (such as eye care products). The group is also exploring further collaborations with other pharmaceutical corporations and packaging companies.
On a broader scale, the pharmaceuticals sector’s needs of its suppliers also seems to be shifting. Now, more and more pharma companies no longer view pill packaging as one of their core competencies. And, as they strive to focus more squarely on developing new drugs, they are increasingly seeking not just packaging materials suppliers, but full packaging systems providers.
Ever innovative
Not that Perlen Packaging needs to fear such developments. The group has consistently demonstrated its innovative credentials – most recently in its development of the PERLAMEDTM-BLISTair – the world’s first-ever thermoformed, dry powder inhaler. This new device looks set to revolutionise the inhaler market and has already earned several innovation awards within the packaging sector.
The PERLAMEDTM-BLISTair will make inhalers available to users who have never had access to such products before. Many people who need inhalers for medical applications simply cannot afford to buy an expensive injection-moulded device that will be good for 30-60 inhalations. The PERLAMEDTM-BLISTair makes such medication accessible – and their means – in a single-dose format.
It is just the latest example of Perlen Packaging’s pioneering approach to supplying the pharmaceuticals sector with the packaging it requires to provide the vital medicines people need.
Further information
www.perlenpackaging.com
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