COVID-19: Lack of Vaccine Glass Bottles: SCHOTT, Corning, Nippon Electric Glass

COVID-19: Lack of Vaccine Glass Bottles: SCHOTT, Corning, Nippon Electric Glass

Global vaccine development:

Pharmaceutical companies around the world are competing to develop a new corona vaccine.

Under such circumstances, the drastic increase in production capacity has become an urgent issue in the vaccine manufacturing industry.

Vaccine glass container:

The glass container for the vaccine is not an ordinary glass bottle.

A special material called borosilicate glass.

It is chemically stable and does not affect the vaccine inside,
Excellent in water resistance and acid resistance,
Strong against sudden temperature changes and external shocks.
German shot company:

On June 26, we established a system that can supply 2 billion new corona vaccine containers.

Announced that it has already signed a contract with a major pharmaceutical company in the world.

The first batch of containers will be delivered to pharmaceutical companies in North America, Europe and Asia.

Special glass container for medicine:

Borosilicate glass production requires advanced technology. Special glass containers for medicine

Besides German shots
American Corning,
Nippon Electric Glass of Japan,
A few large companies hold the market share.

Chinese pharmaceutical companies:

For this reason, Chinese pharmaceutical companies have no choice but to rely on imports from overseas.

In Chinese companies,

Shandong medicinal glass,
Masakawa pharmaceutical packaging material,
We are the two largest manufacturers of pharmaceutical glass containers.

However, the production technology of borosilicate glass is still behind.

Shandong Medicinal Glass:

Although it has acquired the borosilicate glass manufacturing technology for the first time in China, its production capacity is limited.

Chongqing Zhengchuan Pharmac Pckg:

On July 29, it announced that it will issue 405 million yuan (about 6.4 billion yen) of convertible bonds with a redemption period of 6 years, and will use it for the production and research and development of borosilicate glass.

In other words, it is difficult for a Chinese manufacturer to mass-produce a new corona vaccine container in a short period of time.

“Fortune” China Biz & Tech

https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/367557?display=b

MEMpax® ultra-thin borosilicate glass:

Shot Advanced Optics | SCHOTT AG

https://www.schott.com/advanced_optics/japanese/products/optical-materials/thin-glass/mempax/index.html