Snap-on vials: a new standard for nonparenteral applications

What is primary packaging?

Primary packaging comes in direct contact with the drug formulation and is meticulously designed to protect the medication from contamination, ensuring its stability and safety throughout storage and transportation. In the pharmaceutical sector, where stringent safety standards are essential, especially for injectable drugs, common primary packaging options include syringes, cartridges, vials, and ampoules. The choice of primary packaging is critically tied to the route of drug administration, which is generally categorized into parenteral and nonparenteral.

Defining the application routes

In general, there are two routes of drug administration, parenteral and nonparenteral. Let’s take a closer look:

• Parenteral: includes medication that is injected into the patient’s body. Examples are subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous, among others.
  • Parenteral administration is generally the fastest and most direct way to absorb medication.
  • For the delivery of parenteral drugs, primary packaging such as vials or ampoules need to be used in combination with a syringe.

• Nonparenteral: includes all other types of drugs that are not injected into the body. Some of these types include oral, topical, ophthalmic, and nasal.
  • Nonparenteral administration is easier to use since it can be directly done by the patient.
  • Packaging such as vials or bottles is preferred for nonparenteral drug delivery.

Snap-on vials: precisely sized vials for the expanding nasal drug delivery market

In 2022, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published norm 24166-3, which addresses “Snap-on bottles for metering pumps” made from tubular glass.

This norm established the dimensions for two types of snap-on vials, which differentiate themselves by their sealing ring (either present or absent). Their dimensions, including tolerances, were established with the aim of achieving a neck “that allows a snap-on functionality with the metering pump” (ISO norm 24166-3).

This ISO standard also specifies the general requirements for snap-on glass vials, including:

• Snap-on vial sealing surfaces shall be free from grooves, ripples and undulations sufficient to affect the sealing performance when combined with the metering pump.
• The bottom shall have a shape and an inner surface that allows the dip-tube of the metering pump to move into a position of the vial to minimize the residual volume.
• The supplier and the customer shall agree on the specifications for such sealing and bottom surfaces.

Strong partnership for the best snap-on compatibility

Choosing the appropriate primary packaging, containers, and components is essential for ensuring patient safety. Manufacturers such as SCHOTT Pharma consistently innovate to improve the safety and efficiency of drug containers across the entire supply chain. With this goal in mind, we collaborate with our partners to provide pharmaceutical customers with the best possible primary packaging.

Aptar Pharma, a global leader in drug delivery, recently performed a series of tests with SCHOTT Pharma’s snap-on vials. Samples of these vials (exemplary 20R) were combined with Aptar Pharma’s 20mm Classic Line spray pumps, CPS spray pumps (optimized for nasal drug applications), and APF (Advanced Preservative Free) and APF^Plus pumps. The APF and APF^Plus pumps provide superior microbiological protection and stability for sensitive formulations, granting a metal-free fluid path for the safest products. All combinations of Aptar Pharma pumps with SCHOTT Pharma’s snap-on vials passed the tightness test.

Snap-on vials from SCHOTT Pharma

With more than 100 years of experience in pharmaceutical glass containers, with billions of high-quality vials produced every year, SCHOTT Pharma is a market leader in pharmaceutical packaging. Our products enable our customers to safely store and administer a wide range of medicines while optimizing the fill-and-finish process.

SCHOTT Pharma manufactures its snap-on vials using SCHOTT FIOLAX® glass tubing (clear or amber according to drug requirements), which offers high chemical resistance for stable storage and long shelf life. Precise dimensions and tight AQLs for cosmetic defects support the functionality of these vials.