West Expands Manufacturing Capacity at Scottsdale Facility to Support Customer Demand for SmartDose® Electronic Wearable Injector

EXTON, Pa., July 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST), a global leader in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration, today announced that it has expanded capabilities at its Scottsdale, Ariz. facility to meet increased customer demand for the SmartDose^® Electronic Wearable Injector. The expansion in Scottsdale will enable continuing development and production of SmartDose to accommodate rising interest in the product to further demonstrate the ability to support customer launch plans and to provide supply-chain security.

"Expanding our manufacturing capabilities in Scottsdale – and continuing scaling up production in Israel – will enable rapid, dual sourcing to our customers and help them bring innovative new treatments to market," said Eric Resnick, President, Pharmaceutical Delivery Systems, Proprietary Products at West.

With the treatment of many chronic illnesses shifting out of clinical settings to home care and self-administration, there is growing need for drug products that can be easily injected by patients. Designed to deliver high volumes of injectable drugs over an extended period of time, SmartDose makes it easier for patients to self-administer medication and encourages compliance with prescribed treatments. Patients have already self-administered thousands of doses using SmartDose in clinical settings. West has delivered more than 100,000 units of SmartDose and more than 800,000 validated Daikyo Crystal Zenith^® drug containers to pharmaceutical manufacturers for customer-funded development projects and clinical trials, including eight active programs at various stages of pre-commercial development. 

"Medication adherence is an ongoing challenge in the pharmaceutical industry, and non-adherence is a leading cause of poor clinical outcomes and increased healthcare costs," Resnick said. "We designed SmartDose to be an easy-to-use, intuitive and reliable drug delivery system that can help boost adherence for injectable medications – and the customer response has been tremendous."

The expanded capabilities at the Scottsdale site include clean room manufacturing and additional laboratory space. New jobs are being created in R&D, engineering, quality and operations functions to ramp-up production, new development and sustainment engineering.

The silicone-free Daikyo Crystal Zenith drug container that is used within SmartDose is commercially available in the ready-to-use format, and the combined offering provides system reliability and accountability from one partner. West's commitment to all phases of component and delivery system manufacturing ensures that the same high standards of quality are applied to products from development all the way to commercialization.

About The SmartDose Electronic Wearable Injector System
SmartDose is a single-use, electronic wearable injector that adheres to the patient's body, usually on the abdomen, and is pre-programmed to deliver high volumes of viscous or sensitive drug products. SmartDose includes a Daikyo Crystal Zenith drug container with elastomer components using FluroTec^® barrier film. The needle is automatically shielded before and after use to help prevent the risk of accidental needlestick injury. West developed SmartDose with extensive human factors analysis to understand and design for the patient's emotional and physical state at various stages of the journey of disease management.

For more information about SmartDose, or any of West's technologies for integrated drug delivery, visit www.smartdose.com or www.westpharma.com.

About West
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of packaging components and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products. Working by the side of its customers from concept to patient, West creates products that promote the efficiency, reliability and safety of the world's pharmaceutical drug supply. West is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, and supports its customers from locations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. West's 2014 sales of $1.42 billion reflect the daily use of approximately 110 million of its components and devices, which are designed to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients around the world.

West and the diamond logo are registered trademarks of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., in the United States and other jurisdictions.

SmartDose^® is a registered trademark of Medimop Medical Projects Ltd., a subsidiary of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. West seeks partners for its SmartDose electronic wearable injector technology platform. This platform is intended to be used as an integrated system with drug filling and final assembly completed by the pharmaceutical/biotechnology company. West and the diamond logo and By your side for a healthier world™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

Daikyo Crystal Zenith^® is a registered trademark of Daikyo Seiko, Ltd. Crystal Zenith technology is licensed from Daikyo Seiko, Ltd.

FluroTec^® is a registered trademark of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., in the United States and other jurisdictions.

Media Contact
Tiffany Burke
Global Communications, West Pharmaceutical Services
+ 1-610-594-3231
[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131029/NE05658LOGO

SOURCE West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.westpharma.com