SCHOTT has expanding its range of analyses offered due to an increasing demand for laboratory services related to ‘extractables and leachables’ (‘E&L’).On the occasion of the international trade fair Pharmapack in Paris, the German group of companies today announced this extension of its services.

Extractables and leachables are substances, which can be dissolved and released from the constituent parts – glass, metals, rubber, lubricants, adhesives, etc. of the packaging materials that form the container system. To determine any possible interactions with the drugs and exclude them, pharmacists are obliged to perform extensive studies. This procedure is mainly intended for the protection of patients.

SCHOTT pharma services division director Dr Uwe Rothhaar said: "Through our extended service offering, we are now able to support pharmaceutical even more efficiently in the assessment of risks.

By strengthening the E&L range of analyses, SCHOTT pharma services underlines its position as an experienced partner for pharmacists who benefit not only from SCHOTT’s decades of expertise but also from a combination of laboratory services, which is unique in the market.

"An increasing number of drug manufacturers ask us to test their outer packages," Rothhaar said. "The spectrum ranges from the analysis of interactions between drug and packaging materials to fracture and strength tests."

His team offers a wide range of analytical services based on the modern instruments of a laboratory whose state of the art is ensured by continuous investments of SCHOTT.

In addition, the resources of the central research and technology development division of SCHOTT, located in the same building in Mainz, as well as in Duryea, US, can be called on as well. The entire laboratory, as well as all lab operations and processes, are accredited to DIN EN ISO 17025 and guarantee the highest standards in quality.