Glass Versus Cyclic Olefin Polymers
Container Closure Integrity in Cryogenic Storage Environments
Many biologic drugs require low-temperature storage under certain conditions, all the way down to the cryogenic range (-180 oC). Such low temperatures can be problematic for glass vials. If the glass vial for a biologic drug experiences breakage, or does not maintain container closure integrity, a cyclic olefin polymer (COP) system may be the solution. COP has several features that make it suitable for drug packaging. It is transparent and fracture-resistant, offers resistance to oxygen and water and has the ability to maintain container closure integrity at low temperature.