Conventionally, pharma companies use 30- and 40-micron soft-tempered strip foil pack laminate. Uflex has developed 20-micron pin-hole free soft tempered foil. It contributes in providing higher yield gain of 36%, leading to cost savings for pharma companies. Offering excellent printing on matte finish with superior readability through multi-colour reverse printing design on special PET film in special PET/ foil/ PE laminate, fast-tear strip foil is produced in-house to impart easy tear-ability of the laminate without any effort. Fast-tear strip foil maintains the bursting pressure of the pocket with reduced foil thickness. The value-addition of holography solution with Latentogram imparts brand protection of the pack and maintains the same barrier properties when compared to that of conventional strip pack laminate. This foil conforms to all regulatory requirements of pharmaceutical products and also meets toxicology requirements.

In conventional cold form laminate, there are three layers — nylon, aluminium and PVC. Uflex has developed a revolutionary alu-alu packaging where special polyester film has replaced the conventional nylon and PVC while retaining aluminium, making it an indigenous product since both PVC and BON have to be imported from other countries. For this unique development, Uflex has also been granted an US Patent recently. Alu-alu packaging provides sustainability and cost optimisation giving it an edge over conventional alu-alu packaging.

The child-resistant and senior-friendly (CRSF) foils, developed by Uflex, are available in two types — push-through and peel-push. As the name suggests, it requires some amount of pressure for a child to open it. However an adult or senior can open it easily. This protects unintentional damage to the foil, which is common with conventional blister foils which get easily tampered during handling, affecting the formulation. CRSF foils are also commonly used in regulated markets. With this product portfolio, Uflex will be able to bridge the current gap in the market.

Pharma brands face two major problems, namely counterfeiting and medication non-adherence in case of chronic therapies. Considering the literacy levels and linguistic diversity of India, Uflex offers tailor-made consumer discernible packaging solutions which provides unique brand identity and top-of-mind medication adherence communication along with highly specialised brand protection packaging technologies. By introducing non-duplicable anti-counterfeiting overt and covert technologies, pharma industry stands to gain by checking the challenge of spurious drugs in the market.

Amitava Ray, executive director, Uflex, said, “Uflex’s approach to business is to grow and develop consumer-friendly products than just be a ‘me too’ in the industry. This is why we ceaselessly work towards delivering an amalgamation of un-interrupted supplies, quality, service and innovation that are expected in pharma packaging business.”

On the opportunity that the developed products offer, Ray added, “Fast-tear strip foil will prove to be a game-changer for the pharma industry globally and we see a potential growth market of 5000 tonnes annually in India. We are investing in technology, capex and the time to raise the bar both in terms of quality and growth.”