Peer Reviewed Study by Noted Economists Shows Blow-Fill-Seal Prefilled Injectors Have
Lower Environmental Footprint than Widely Used Glass Options
Stamford, CT; July 30, 2024: A new peer reviewed study, released today, compares the environmental footprint of an innovative prefilled injection device to widely used traditional glass syringe options. The study shows that greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced significantly by the soon to be available blow-fill-seal (BFS) manufactured prefilled injectors.
The year-long study, Life Cycle Assessment of the Prefilled ApiJect Injector, finds a substantial difference favoring the Prefilled Injector developed by ApiJect Systems, Corp. (ApiJect) across all categories of resource use and environmental impact. In quantifying an environmental footprint, the study identified and measured each step in the production and distribution processes of the different types of injection devices.
Compared to the Prefilled ApiJect Injector result of 38 g CO2-eq per dose:
- Single-Dose Glass Vial impacts are ~125% higher per dose;
- Luer-type Prefilled Syringes are ~100% higher per dose;
- Multi-Dose Vial and Staked-type Prefilled Syringes are 65-75% higher per dose;
Measuring water use for manufacturing, cleaning and sterilization, the study also found that a typical single-dose glass vial requires over 100 times more water than the Prefilled ApiJect Injector.
In quantifying an environmental footprint and CO2 release, the study identified and measured each step in the production and distribution processes of the different types of injection devices. The study’s authors are Robert Litan, PhD., former Director of Economic Studies at The Brookings Institution and Matthew Eckelman, PhD., Adjunct Associate Professor at the Yale School of Public Health, with expertise in emissions modeling. The authors were supported by engineers and scientists from Kymanox, a global professional services company exclusively serving life sciences.
The study’s analysis includes comprehensive life cycle stages from cradle-to-grave, encompassing all upstream materials production, manufacturing, inspection, packaging, transportation, use and waste management. The report applies internationally standardized (ISO 14040 and 14044) methods of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare environmental impacts of the Prefilled ApiJect Injector and the four product alternatives.
The study was supported by ApiJect, a medical technology company working to improve how sterile liquid medicines and vaccines are fill-finished across the world. As its purpose was to measure comparative outcomes of different processes, this study was peer reviewed by an independent panel of environmental and economic modeling experts. Members were Terrie Boguski, Harmony Environmental (Panel Chair), Cassandra Thiel, New York University and Jason Pierce, LCA Consultant and Certified Practitioner.
Report co-author Matthew Eckelman stated, “The study’s findings should be of great interest to anyone who cares about the environmental impact of medicines. We know already that health care and its supply chains are important contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which collectively represent 8.5% of total U.S. GHG emissions and approximately 5% of global emissions, of which medicines make up a substantial part. The report shows that the carbon footprints of traditional glass-based injectable medicines fill-finish options are approximately 65% to 125% higher than ApiJect’s innovative platform, and they require more energy, materials, and water.”
Report co-author Robert Litan, PhD., commented, “The reduction of greenhouse gases, not tomorrow but today, is a business imperative. This report shows that yesterday’s technologies and manufacturing processes won’t get it done. By measuring the environmental impact of each step in product manufacturing and distribution, we are able to quantify to a high degree of specificity the levels of greenhouse gases reductions achieved by a new innovative injection device compared to traditional injection products.”
CEO of HIPRA Human Health, Carlos Montañés, said, “As our Corporate Sustainability Strategy claims, reducing the carbon footprint and the environmental impact of our products are priorities for HIPRA.
When we discovered the ApiJect project, it attracted our attention as an innovative fill and finish technology for injectable products that improves logistics and global access to vaccines.
This study’s findings show that in addition to the benefits to the supply chain, ApiJect’s devices also provide a significant advantage by reducing the environmental footprint. Therefore, with the combination of our vaccines, such as our recombinant protein vaccine against COVID-19, and ApiJect technology, we could be providing immunity for a healthier world in a more sustainable way.”
ApiJect co-founder and inventor of the widely-used Auto-Disabled Syringe, Marc Koska, said, “For some time we have intuitively believed that the ApiJect device was far more environmentally friendly than traditional glass fill-finish. The Eckelman-Litan study has provided data-driven results showing far greater advantages than we ever assumed. Their findings are not marginal differences. Just as the Auto-Disabled Syringe has prevented syringe reuse and saved countless lives around the world, the ApiJect device’s lower emissions will contribute to a more environmentally healthy planet.”
ApiJect co-founder, Jay Walker, commented, “We built the ApiJect injection platform to deliver an affordable prefilled option for most, if not all, injectable medicines supported by a high-volume manufacturing process and compact supply chain. The Eckelman-Litan study shows that our most important contribution to global health may be our impact on the environment. As we file for regulatory approval for our initial device in the coming months, expand our manufacturing capacity here in the U.S., and partner with a growing list of pharmaceutical companies to launch regulatory reviews of their drugs in our device, we will begin to see environmental impacts identified by the Eckelman-Litan research.”
ABOUT APIJECT SYSTEMS, CORP.
ApiJect Systems, Corp. is a public-benefit medical technology company working to bring prefilled, single-dose injections to more people in every market around the world. The ApiJect Platform enables pharmaceutical and biotech companies to design scalable prefilled injectors and efficiently fill-finish them with their injectable drug products. This can be done either on one of their own ApiJect-licensed Blow-Fill-Seal packaging lines or at one of our world-class manufacturing partners
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in these materials that address activities, events or developments that ApiJect expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release specifically include the expectations of plans, strategies, and objectives of ApiJect. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of ApiJect, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements.
Learn more at www.apiject.com or contact Steve Hofman at [email protected].