Novartis Makes Strategic Investment in SiO2 Medical Products to Advance Innovative Drug Packaging Technologies

AUBURN, Ala., Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SiO2 Medical Products today announced that Novartis has made a strategic investment in the company to explore and potentially utilize its packaging technology and materials science across a wide range of products. SiO2’s containers consist of a molded plastic body with a thin inner glass layer. Leveraging SiO2’s proprietary technology, this approach offers a range of potential benefits:

It is anticipated that following its initial successful application in ophthalmic products, this technology will be utilized across a variety of other products.

SiO2, a privately owned advanced materials science company, is dedicated to producing precision-molded cyclic olefin polymer (COP) containers for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), integrated with a thin, transparent silicon-based coating system composed of siloxane and silica nanolayers. This breakthrough coating system uniquely combines the durability and dimensional consistency of plastics with the oxygen barrier properties, low extractables, and pH stability characteristic of glass (such as quartz).

Chief Business Officer Lawrence Ganti stated, “We sincerely thank our investors, Novartis and MPM Capital, for their support. We look forward to collaborating with Novartis on the application of our multiple materials science technologies.” Dr. Robert Pangborn, retired R&D executive at Dow Chemical Corp., and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MITIn a jointly released statement, Professor Bob Langer stated: “Novartis shares our vision of advancing technology to deliver better patient outcomes. We believe this collaboration is among the first of its kind, leveraging advanced drug delivery materials science to potentially improve patients’ lives.” Dr. Robert Pangborn and Dr. Bob Langer both serve as leaders of the SiO2 Scientific Advisory Board, collaborating with renowned scientists worldwide.

“SiO2’s leading position, combined with its collaboration with Novartis, will undoubtedly drive significant success for our firm in the future,” said Tony Rosenberg, Executive Partner at MPM Capital and Director at SiO2. “SiO2’s innovative surface coating technology for primary drug containers can facilitate innovation across a wide range of products, from the development phase through to final market launch.”