West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.

West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. has added a new offering to its line of LyoTec stoppers for lyophilized drug products. The addition of the new product, a single-vent, 13mm stopper, complements the 20mm stopper that has been used successfully in lyophilization chambers. As more biotech drugs are introduced into the market, this new product option will enable pharmaceutical manufacturers to select the appropriate stopper and vial sizing combination ideally suited for each drug compound. LyoTec stoppers bring a measure of safety to any lyophilization process by helping prevent product loss that can lead to unnecessary expense, breach of a sterile environment and, in some cases, a hazardous environmental cleanup. LyoTec stoppers feature West FluroTec barrier film on the top of the stopper. The fluorocarbon film prevents the stoppers from sticking to the pressure plates of chambers after a lyophilization cycle.LyoTec stoppers offer a single-vent, or igloo, configuration. This design can help prevent mechanical twinning, the interlocking of stoppers in filling line feeding bowls. Twinning can cause line stoppages to allow manufacturing personnel to remove the interlocked stoppers. LyoTec stoppers can also be enhanced with Westar ready-to-sterilize or ready-to-use processing. Westar RS processed stoppers allow pharmaceutical companies to eliminate some of the stopper preparation steps from their operations. With Westar RU stoppers, manufacturers can eliminate stopper preparation altogether.