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Sustainability in Drug Delivery192

Issue No #192 Oct/Nov 2026  October 26th, 2026


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Issue 192 - OctNov 2026

Inside the magazine

BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL ELASTOMER WASTE INTO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
SUSTAINABILITY
Yann Fromont
Aptar Pharma
BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL ELASTOMER WASTE INTO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Yann Fromont and Clovis Saunier discuss Aptar Pharma and Moine Recyclage's partnership and explain how clean elastomer production scrap from the manufacture of injectable components is recovered and repurposed for durable technical applications.
NON-PTFE, NIA-PFAS POLYMERS FOR LIQUID DRUG DELIVERY DEVICES
SUSTAINABILITY
Erik Schwartz
SABIC
NON-PTFE, NIA-PFAS POLYMERS FOR LIQUID DRUG DELIVERY DEVICES
Dr Erik Schwartz, Dirk van Oevelen and Anton Petrov discuss SABIC’s range of NIA-polyfluoroalkyl polymers and introduce the company’s fully functional autoinjector prototype, which uses the latest generation of resins and compounds from different polymer families.
A CALCULATED MOVE: PUTTING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DATA TO WIDER USE
SUSTAINABILITY
Cristin Konkart
Ypsomed
A CALCULATED MOVE: PUTTING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DATA TO WIDER USE
Cristin Konkart and Shawn James investigate the importance of the underlying methodologies and expertise behind product carbon footprints and lifecycle assessments, drawing on Ypsomed’s accrued organisational expertise to demonstrate how these processes are evolving and providing greater value to the company and its partners.
WHY THE GREENEST POLYMERS NEVER REACHED SCALE
EXPERT VIEW
Athanasios Garoufas
WHY THE GREENEST POLYMERS NEVER REACHED SCALE
Athanasios Garoufas and Laura Armenio discuss how the sustainability profile of a material is baked-in at its production, examining how traditional methods for producing polymers fail to unify both environmentally favourable feedstock and industrial-scale production capacity, and consider the advantages that next-generation methods that bring these two key aspects together could bring to not only drug delivery but the wider industry.
MANUFACTURERS’ ROLE IN DELIVERING ESSENTIAL RESPIRATORY HEALTHCARE DURING THE TRANSITION TO LOW-GWP pMDIs
SUSTAINABILITY
Darren Bromley-Davenport
Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials
MANUFACTURERS’ ROLE IN DELIVERING ESSENTIAL RESPIRATORY HEALTHCARE DURING THE TRANSITION TO LOW-GWP pMDIs
Darren Bromley-Davenport of Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials discusses the transition from current hydrofluoroalkane propellants to lower global warming potential alternatives for use in metered dose inhalers, highlighting the services that the company can offer the industry via its GMP facilities and wealth of experience to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible.
DESIGNING WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND: ENGINEERING LOW CARBON pMDIs FROM THE COMPONENT UP
SUSTAINABILITY
Tony Mallett
Bespak
DESIGNING WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND: ENGINEERING LOW CARBON pMDIs FROM THE COMPONENT UP
Tony Mallett and Richard Turner explain the environmental strategies that shape inhalation device development and commercial manufacture when designing for propellants with low global warming potential, allowing patients to receive safe and effective treatment with lower environmental impact.
THE SUSTAINABILITY ESCAPE ROOM: HOW PRIMARY PACKAGING TRIES TO GET OUT OF THE EU REGULATORY MAZE
EXPERT VIEW
Dr Bettine Boltres
THE SUSTAINABILITY ESCAPE ROOM: HOW PRIMARY PACKAGING TRIES TO GET OUT OF THE EU REGULATORY MAZE
Dr Bettine Boltres, Joe Monfort and Dana Smith break down the key EU regulatory layers affecting primary pharmaceutical packaging authorisations and explain why sustainability decisions require lifecycle thinking rather than single-attribute claims.
THE OVERLOOKED SUSTAINABILITY LEVER: HUMAN FACTORS IN DRUG DELIVERY
EXPERT VIEW
Adrian Segens
THE OVERLOOKED SUSTAINABILITY LEVER: HUMAN FACTORS IN DRUG DELIVERY
Adrian Segens and Robin Huedepohl consider the effects of device design choices on environmental impact, looking at how design decisions can be optimised to reduce drug or device wastage, improve benefits for patients and ultimately minimise carbon footprints.
DESIGNING FOR A WORLD UNDER STRAIN: THE ROLE OF ECO-DESIGN IN IMPROVING SUSTAINABILITY AND SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITY
EXPERT VIEW
Rob Veasey
DESIGNING FOR A WORLD UNDER STRAIN: THE ROLE OF ECO-DESIGN IN IMPROVING SUSTAINABILITY AND SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITY
Rob Veasey discusses the core concepts of eco-design as applied to drug delivery devices, examining how sustainability principles can improve not only the environmental impact of the industry’s products and processes but also how they can contribute to better supply-chain robustness and resilience.
REDUCING COMMERCIALISATION RISK IN DRUG DELIVERY DEVELOPMENT
EXPERT VIEW
Dr Frank Engel Rasmussen
REDUCING COMMERCIALISATION RISK IN DRUG DELIVERY DEVELOPMENT
Dr Frank Engel Rasmussen and Mark Ypsilantis discuss how early decisions on functional device design affect downstream production choices, highlighting the importance of integrating scale-up considerations from the outset, across all development teams.
Company Showcase: Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing
SHOWCASE
Chelsea Keeton
Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing
Company Showcase: Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing
Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing discusses its sterile filling capabilities and how its expanding facilities support growing demand for vial, syringe and cartridge filling.
BIOPLASTICS IN DRUG DELIVERY: SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION OR SUBSTITUTION TRAP?
EXPERT VIEW
Serena Grace
BIOPLASTICS IN DRUG DELIVERY: SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION OR SUBSTITUTION TRAP?
Serena Grace and Alex Fong examine the environmental and supply-chain limits of bio-based plastics in drug delivery, arguing that material substitution alone cannot address the sector’s deep dependence on virgin plastics. They consider how reducing raw material dependence can contribute not only to lowering carbon footprints but also to increasing supply-chain resilience, and highlight the importance of assessing, not assuming, impact.
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