Running on Ice: The U.S. and Netherlands see biologics and self-administered therapies growth 

All thawed out

Tjoapack, a global contract packaging organization (CPO), is significantly scaling its cold‑chain and sterile injectable packaging infrastructure at two key sites: Clinton, Tennessee, and Etten‑Leur, Netherlands. These expansions aim to support the rapid growth in biologics, self‑administered therapies, and supply‑chain resilience 

In Clinton, Tennessee there will be a vial packaging line: A fully automated, high-speed system capable of processing up to 20 million vials annually, with end-to-end integration of labeling, cartoning, and serialization. In addition there will be an auto-injector line: A semi-automated solution providing traceability and labeling.

The facility in the Netherlands will have a prefilled syringe (PFS) line: A fully automated line that  supports syringe assembly (with optional safety devices), automated plunger rod insertion, accessory insertion (e.g., needles, finger flanges), and safety components. The site increased from ~36 to 120 pallet spaces at 2–8 °C.

Tjoapack’s investments are aligned with the broader pharmaceutical trend toward patient-centric formats which include prefilled syringes and auto-injectors that simplify home administration and improve compliance, especially in biologics 

Quoted in a PharmTech article, Peter Belden, president of Tjoapack US, “We’ve been investing heavily in expanding our cold chain capabilities, in expanding our capability and capacity to package unique configuration for injectable products, whether that is a product that comes to us in a syringe format, a vial format, or an auto injector format. [We have] the ability to either automate or semi-automate, label, and then finish [to] pack those products while maintaining tight control of time [and] temperature to allow for packaging, and then getting those materials and finished goods back into cold storage.”

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