Helvoet Pharma starts new rubber plant in Belgium

Alken, Belgium - Helvoet Pharma - the pharmaceutical closures division of Swiss company, Dätwyler Holdings - has begun building a new factory for rubber closures in Alken, Belgium.

The new plant, covering a surface area of 6000 m², will make a new line of high-quality rubber packaging components - an important growth segment in the market. An investment of €22 million is involved. Construction is due to start in July and the new plant should be operational by January 2009.

The new product line - whose name is being kept a secret for the time being - will comprise high-quality rubber components for pharmaceutical packaging and medical systems. The products will include coated products (Omniflex) as well as products for the biopharmaceutical industry. These products are extremely pure so that they guarantee optimal compatibility with the products they enclose. Rubber parts for pre-filled syringes - an important growth segment - will also be produced.

The plant will be equipped with the latest technology and focus will be laid on production in clean rooms, with particular emphasis on production flow and validation processes.

Helvoet said "Over the last three years, there has been a distinct increased demand for high-quality rubber components in the pharmaceutical packaging market. This prompted the need not only for new and innovative product lines, but also for modified high-tech production environments that have to meet the increasingly strict standards, set by the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, large companies today want suppliers to uphold the same strict standards in their manufacturing processes as applied in the pharmaceutical sector itself.

Helvoet Pharma is a subsidiary of the Swiss Dätwyler group, and is unrelated to Helvoet Rubber & Plastic Technologies nv based in Lommel, Belgium

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Press release from Helvoet Pharma