According to a new study from The Freedonia Group, demand for pharmaceutical packaging products in the US will increase 4.9 percent annually to 22.1 billion dollars in 2018. Primary containers will make up two-thirds of the total, with the remainder generated by closures, secondary containers, labels, and other packaging accessories. “Led by prefillable syringes, vials, and premixed IV systems, parenteral containers will post the fastest growth in both revenue and unit demand as new injectable and infusion therapies based on biotechnology and other advanced life sciences are introduced into the marketplace. Demand for these containers will exceed that for blister packaging and will generate the second largest share of value demand among primary pharmaceutical containers in 2018”, notes analyst Bill Martineau. Plastic bottles will continue to record the largest demand among primary pharmaceutical containers, reflecting usage in the bulk and prescription dose packaging of oral ethical drugs and the packaging of solid dose oral over-the-counter medicines in large quantities. Blister packaging will remain the leading competitor to plastic bottles in solid oral drug applications and, overall, will post above average revenue growth based on adaptability to unit dose and clinical trial dosage formats with expanded label content, high visibility, and built-in track-and-trace features. The value of demand generated by prefillable inhalers will expand somewhat faster than the overall average of primary pharmaceutical containers as the devices build applications in the delivery of asthma, COPD, and, most recently, insulin therapies. By contrast, the market for pharmaceutical pouches will grow at a slightly below average pace as uses remain limited to the unit dose packaging of transdermal, powder, and topical medicines. (Photo: Gerresheimer)