Phillips-Medisize Wins New Supply Contract for Sanofi Injection Pen

Hudson, Wis.-based Phillips-Medisize Corp. has signed a supply agreement for insulin pen components with French pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi SA, a leader for diabetes treatment.

As a result, the company’s injection pen component production at its plant in Kontiolahti, Finland, has been expanded with an automated production line.

Given the production by Phillips-Medisize of insulin pen components for many years, this new project was assigned to the Kontiolahti plant and, according to Phillips-Medisize officials, underlines the long-term partnership between their company and Sanofi. The new pen is designed to be an easy-to-use disposable pen for the administration of lixisenatide, a diabetes drug approved in the European Union, Japan, Mexico and Australia, but not yet in the United States.

The finished device is made for the Japanese market.

The manufacturing involves injection molding technology, assembly and tray handling robots, various measuring and testing systems as well as pad printing, according to Phillips-Medisize.

The complex and highly automated assembly line was planned and installed by Phillips-Medisize, and includes multiple camera inspection points in the process. The company also built the required molds, which were principally designed and produced in the company’s in-house tool shop. Phillips-Medisize implemented the project, including all validations required, and delivered validated product in less than 12 months. The final pen assembly will be launched out by Sanofi in Frankfurt, Germany.

“This agreement confirms our in-house tooling and automation expertise, combined with excellent project management capabilities are highly valued by our customers,” said Phillips-Medisize President and CEO Matt Jennings. “We will continue to develop our competency to offer them an even quicker service for their drug delivery device projects and are delighted to contribute to the rapid growth of the Sanofi diabetes treatment business.”

In February 2013, Phillips-Medisize added another 64,583 square feet of capacity to its Finnish facility. The expansion was driven by new opportunities the company has been awarded, as well as, to support increased global demand for devices with precise dosage drug-delivery requirements, the company reported.

Phillips-Medisize is a global outsource provider of design and manufacturing services to the medical device and diagnostics, drug delivery, and commercial markets. The company has annual sales of more than $500 million with 80 percent of the total revenue coming from drug delivery, medical device, primary pharmaceutical packaging and diagnostic products such as disposable insulin pens, glucose meters, specialty inhalation drug delivery devices, single-use surgical devices and consumable diagnostic components.