News

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging Awarded Silver Medal Sustainability Rating from EcoVadis

EcoVadis Award reflects Nelipak’s Commitment to Help Healthcare Be Sustainable

Cranston, RI — October 10, 2023Nelipak Corporation (“Nelipak”), a leading global manufacturer of packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical drug delivery, and other demanding applications, announced it has been awarded a Silver Medal from EcoVadis in recognition of its sustainability efforts. 

EcoVadis is a trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. The EcoVadis sustainability rating methodology is built on international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact, and the ISO 26000, covering 200+ spend categories and 175+ countries. Nelipak’s Silver Medal rating is based on the EcoVadis Sustainability Scorecard which evaluates performance across 21 indicators in four themes: Environment; Labor & Human Rights; Ethics; and Sustainable Procurement.

“We are proud that our continued effort to help healthcare be sustainable has been recognized by EcoVadis. Nelipak is now in the top 20% of surveyed companies and achieved a Silver Medal performance. Our increased focus on sustainability shows that Nelipak’s commitment to delivering safe and effective patient outcomes extends beyond our products,” said Nic Hunt, senior director and head of global sustainability at Nelipak.

“I am pleased with the progress demonstrated by the EcoVadis Silver Medal rating,” said Pat Chambliss, CEO at Nelipak. “This is attributable to the commitment and hard work of the global Nelipak team. As we continue to benchmark ourselves against leading practices and standards, Nelipak remains committed to helping healthcare be sustainable.”

About Nelipak®

Nelipak® is a leading global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharma drug delivery and other demanding applications. To support the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions, Nelipak offers in-house design, prototyping, tooling, simulation, validation, laboratory, and other value-added services as well as a line of tray sealing equipment.  With 1,400 employees and 11 sites globally, including 6 sites in North America (US, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico) and 5 sites in Europe (Ireland, Netherlands, UK), Nelipak is committed to delivering superior quality, service, and customer experience through world-class cleanroom manufacturing. For more information, visit omsneladoptprd.wpenginepowered.com.

Follow us on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nelipak

Twitter: www.twitter.com/nelipak1953 

Nelipak Marketing Contact:

Seán Egan

Director of Global Marketing

Nelipak

+353-91-709-163

sean.egan@nelipak.com

Press Contact:

Jordan Bouclin
SVM Public Relations
401-490-9700
jordan.bouclin@svmpr.com

Nelipak Elsham Appoints Adam Bolsover as Senior R&D Engineer

Nelipak is pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Adam D. Bolsover as senior R&D engineer at its Elsham facility. Adam will now head up the R&D team in Elsham, following the retirement of senior R&D manager George Mankel, who was particularly integral to Nelipak’s flexibles business for more than 30 years, and instrumental to the development of its STREAM recyclable films portfolio.

In his new role at Nelipak, Adam will support and contribute to packaging development programs, providing solutions valued by customers and driving profitable growth. He will collaborate to understand customers’ packaging needs, rapidly drive the development and implementation of products and/or processes aligned to customer/market needs and business strategy, and ensure proper documentation of work and contribute knowledge to overall R&D team success.

Prior to joining Nelipak, Adam most recently served as quality and technical manager at St. Johns Packaging, where he was responsible for quality, technical and sourcing for the UK market and also provided expertise on EU compliance, sustainability, materials, and product development as part of the global team, to aid in development.

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging Using Eastman Renew Materials for Production of Sterile Barrier Medical Device Packaging Products

Using Eastman medical-grade Eastar™ Renew 6763 supports Nelipak’s commitment to sustainable healthcare packaging

Cranston, RI — January 30, 2023 Nelipak® Corporation (“Nelipak”), a leading global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical drug delivery, and other demanding applications, has announced it is using Eastman’s Eastar™ Renew 6763 to produce rigid thermoformed sterile barrier packaging. Nelipak is the first healthcare packaging manufacturer to use
Eastar™ Renew 6763 to produce sterile barrier packaging for Class II & III medical device applications.

According to Eastman, Eastar™ Renew 6763, powered by Eastman’s innovative molecular recycling technologies, is indistinguishable from Eastar™ 6763 copolyester, with the same durability, safety and performance relied on by medical device companies for decades. The only difference is that by sourcing Eastar™ Renew, companies can certify that plastic waste is being diverted from landfills to produce new packaging. Currently, the goal is to divert waste volume equal to 25% of the weight of total packaging produced — with the potential to increase up to 50% by the end of 2023. The certified plastic waste diversion is achieved by allocating recycled waste plastic to Eastman Renew materials using an ISCC certified mass balance process.

Nelipak’s use of Eastar™ Renew 6763 in sterile barrier packaging products, is enabled by Nelipak’s ISCC PLUS certified facilities as well as ISCC PLUS certification at other supply chain partners. ISCC PLUS is a globally recognized third-party certification system for tracking sustainable feedstocks through the supply chain.

“The use of Eastar™ Renew 6763 in medical device packaging is an important step towards circularity for packaging in the healthcare industry,” said Pat Chambliss, CEO of Nelipak. “We are excited to work with customers on projects where this new medical-grade material can play an important role in achieving their sustainability goals.”

“Developing sustainable solutions and increasing circularity are priorities for many of our customers,” said Nic Hunt, Nelipak’s global head of sustainability. “An exciting benefit of working with Eastar™ Renew 6763 is the ease of adoption as a result of its performance characteristics. This can help customers accelerate projects which contribute to achieving sustainability objectives.”

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About Nelipak®

Nelipak® is a leading global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical drug delivery and other demanding applications. To support the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions, Nelipak offers in-house design, prototyping, tooling, simulation, validation, laboratory, and other value-added services as well as a line of tray sealing equipment. With 1,400 employees and 11 sites globally, including 6 sites in North America (US, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico) and 5 sites in Europe (Ireland, Netherlands, UK), Nelipak is committed to delivering superior quality, service, and customer experience through world-class cleanroom manufacturing. For more information, visit omsneladoptprd.wpenginepowered.com.

Eastar™ and Eastman are trademarks of Eastman Chemical Company.  

Follow us on:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/nelipak
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nelipak1953 

Nelipak Marketing Contact:

Seán Egan
Director of Global Marketing
Nelipak
+353-91-709-163
sean.egan@nelipak.com

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging to Explore the Future of Packaging Sustainability During PharmaPack Europe Roundtable

WHO: Nelipak® Corporation (“Nelipak”), a global leader in rigid and flexible packaging for the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors.

WHAT: Nic Hunt, Nelipak Healthcare Packaging’s Global Head of Sustainability, will be speaking on the “Integrating Product Design and Supply Chain Management for a Circular Economy” roundtable at PharmaPack Europe 2023

The pharmaceutical supply chain is complex, and pharmaceutical companies must address the most common challenges to efficiently get patients their needed medications. Despite present challenges, the supply chain is prepared to accommodate drug delivery technology in a new era of patient healthcare. This session will aim to answer some of the most pressing questions, including:

  • Does the drug delivery industry need to be more environmentally sustainable?
  • How can we or should we measure environmental impact?
  • What is the current environmental impact of drug delivery devices?
  • How can we reduce environmental impact through device design?
  • How can we increase environmental sustainability through supply chain optimization?
  • What could the future hold for the sustainability of the drug delivery industry?

Nic will be joined by the following panelists:

  • Tom Oakley, Director of Drug Delivery Device Development, Springboard
  • Markus Schönfeld, Project Leader Packaging, Novartis
  • Claus Jürgen, Global Head of EcoDesign and Circular Economy, Sanofi
  • Isobel Filipova, Sustainability Lead, Owen Mumford
  • Julien Tremblin, General Manager Europe, TerraCycle

WHEN: PharmaPack Europe will take place February 1-2, 2023. The “Integrating Product Design and Supply Chain Management for a Circular Economy” roundtable will be held on February 2nd from 11:10am-12pm.

WHERE: Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles – Hall 7.2. The roundtable will take place in room 712. Additionally, Nelipak will be exhibiting in Stand C81.

About Nelipak® 

With 11 facilities in the Americas and Europe, Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging designs, develops and manufactures custom packaging products that provide superior protection for the food, medical devices and pharmaceuticals markets. Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging customers consist of some of the largest and most reputable companies in the world.  With over 1,400 employees worldwide, Nelipak® is focused on delivering superior quality and customer experience through world-class manufacturing at each of its locations.

Follow us on: 

LinkedIn
Twitter
YouTube

Nelipak Marketing Contact:

Seán Egan
Director of Global Marketing
Nelipak
+353-91-709-163
sean.egan@nelipak.com 

Press Contact:

Jordan Bouclin
SVM Public Relations
401-490-9700
jordan.bouclin@svmpr.com 

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging to establish new U.S. flexible packaging facility

New North Carolina site will expand Nelipak’s capabilities from Europe to the Americas

Cranston, RI – December 16, 2022 – Nelipak Corporation (“Nelipak”), a leading global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical drug delivery, and other demanding applications, announced that it will establish a new flexible packaging production site in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  

Nelipak currently supplies its industry leading range of healthcare flexible packaging products to customers worldwide from three production sites located in Europe. The addition of a new flagship production site in the U.S. will replicate Nelipak’s existing capabilities to support growing demand in the Americas region. Nelipak’s healthcare flexible packaging product line includes custom-designed roll-stock, die cut lids and sheets, pouches and bags. These products incorporate a range of material substrates (films, Tyvek®, papers, foil-laminates), as well as Nelipak’s range of heat-seal coating technologies Nelipak CR27 and Nelipak SBP2000.

“We are excited to announce our first flexible packaging site in the Americas region,” said Pat Chambliss, CEO of Nelipak. “This site will allow us to provide the same high-quality healthcare flexible packaging products we currently offer to customers worldwide from a new world-class facility with new state-of-the art equipment.  Important factors in our site selection include an attractive geographic location within North Carolina’s growing life science cluster, an available new building, a regional emphasis on training and education, a skilled local workforce, and an overall favorable business climate for healthcare-related manufacturing. We appreciate the enthusiasm and support for this project in the local community and look forward to a long-term partnership.”

The new site is a 110,000 square-foot, new construction Class-A industrial building which will be built out to Nelipak’s specifications for healthcare packaging production including ISO-7 clean room space and shall hold ISO 13485 certification. Nelipak expects the project to include approximately $20 million of capital investment and create approximately 80 new jobs over the next five years. The site is expected to open in late 2023.

This initiative is supported by the North Carolina One NC fund as well as the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina who were key partners in the project that included the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Forsyth County, City of Winston-Salem and Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. 

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About Nelipak®

Nelipak® is a leading global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical drug delivery, and other demanding applications. To support the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions, Nelipak offers in-house design, prototyping, tooling, simulation, validation, laboratory, and other value-added services as well as a line of tray sealing equipment.  With 1,400 employees and 11 sites globally, including 6 sites in North America (US, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico) and 5 sites in Europe (Ireland, Netherlands, UK), Nelipak is committed to delivering superior quality, service, and customer experience through world-class cleanroom manufacturing. For more information, visit omsneladoptprd.wpenginepowered.com.

DuPont™ and Tyvek® are trademarks owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

Follow us on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nelipak

Twitter: www.twitter.com/nelipak1953 

Nelipak Marketing Contact:
Seán Egan
Director of Global Marketing
Nelipak
+353-91-709-163
sean.egan@nelipak.com

Press Contact:
Jordan Bouclin
SVM Public Relations
401-490-9700
jordan.bouclin@svmpr.com

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging receives ISCC PLUS Certification

ISCC PLUS certification reflects Nelipak’s Commitment toDelivering Sustainable Packaging

Cranston, RI — September 7, 2022 — Nelipak Corporation (“Nelipak”), a leading global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, pharmaceutical and other demanding applications, today announced it has received International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certificates at two of its North American facilities (Phoenix, AZ and Whitehall, PA). 

ISCC PLUS is a globally recognized third-party certification system for tracking recycled and bio-based materials through the supply chain. Achieving ISCC PLUS certification recognizes Nelipak’s commitment to helping customers achieve their sustainability goals by enabling a circular supply chain.

“Increasing the use of sustainable packaging solutions is a top priority for many of our customers. Working with our supply chain partners, Nelipak has collaborated to increase the use of recycled content,” said Nic Hunt, senior director and head of global sustainability at Nelipak. “Nelipak has created a mass-balance model for sustainable packaging at two of our North American sites, which have obtained ISCC PLUS certification. In the future, we expect to expand this model to our other sites across North America and Europe to meet the needs of customers serving the healthcare market who are seeking sustainable packaging solutions.”

“This third-party validation is a critical step to developing circular solutions,” said Pat Chambliss, CEO at Nelipak. “Nelipak works with our customers to help them reach their circularity targets by developing products which include recycled content. Achieving ISCC PLUS certification demonstrates clearly that Nelipak is a strong partner for developing and delivering sustainable packaging solutions for the healthcare sector.”

About Nelipak®

Nelipak® is a leading global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, pharmaceutical and other demanding applications. To support the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions, Nelipak offers in-house design, prototyping, tooling, simulation, validation, laboratory, and other value-added services as well as a line of tray sealing equipment.  With 1,400 employees and 10 sites globally, including 5 sites in North America (US, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico) and 5 sites in Europe (Ireland, Netherlands, UK), Nelipak is committed to delivering superior quality, service, and customer experience through world-class cleanroom manufacturing. For more information, visit omsneladoptprd.wpenginepowered.com.

Follow us on:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Nelipak Marketing Contact:
Seán Egan
Director of Global Marketing
Nelipak
+353-91-709-163
sean.egan@nelipak.com

Press Contact:
Jordan Bouclin
SVM Public Relations
401-490-9700
jordan.bouclin@svmpr.com

Accelerated and Real-Time Aging Testing for Sterile Barrier Packaging

Accelerated and real-time aging testing to determine the shelf life of products is a major part of medical device manufacturers’ product development process. We recently sat down with Dylan Keane, laboratory lead for Nelipak Laboratory Services, to learn more about this testing service.

Why are aging tests important?

Aging trials are performed to ensure the sterile barrier system is still intact during the shelf life of the product. Real-time aging takes much longer, but it is the ultimate test for shelf stability and is required by the Notified Bodies in the long run. Accelerated aging reduces time to market with a good estimate of shelf life recognized by the Notified Bodies such as the FDA until your real-time aging testing is complete.

What is accelerated aging?

Accelerated aging is a theoretical calculation of how a sterile packaging system will degrade over time. Accelerated aging testing provides data that allows medical device manufacturers to go to market with their desired shelf-life claim without waiting the entire period of the real-time shelf-life testing, which can stretch into several years.

How is accelerated aging performed?

Nelipak performs the testing based on the ASTM standard F1980. This testing allows a product to be stored under a set temperature over a set period. This extra stress, which is more severe than normal environmental conditions, causes an accelerated variation in the packaging properties over time. Using the Arrhenius equation, a temperature can be selected to calculate a period for accelerated aging. For example, a product normally stored at 23°C undergoing accelerated aging at 50°C would be equivalent to a year of aging after only 57 days or five years after 281 days.

How is real-time aging tested?

For customers looking to perform real-time aging, Nelipak can store your product in ambient conditions, which are constantly monitored by our system to ensure traceability as long as the product remains in real-time storage.

How can the testing be customized?

Nelipak has several aging chambers set to various temperatures, allowing customers to select a temperature suitable to their product and aging timeframe. Nelipak also offers different humidity setpoints if a customer is looking to age a product that may be sensitive to humidity in the environment. In addition, our chambers are continuously monitored to ensure the aging process of our customers’ products is uninterrupted.

What aging-related defects do you look for?

In aging studies, Nelipak looks for time-related defects. Some examples of this are:

  • Over time, seals can soften and loosen up
  • There might be tension in a package
  • The material can delaminate
  • The packaging could change in color

Nelipak Laboratory Services Provides FTIR Material Analysis

Raw materials are one of the first steps in most manufacturing processes and form the basis of all production. As a result, material choice is one of the most important aspects of the manufacturing process. Nelipak Laboratory Services leverages a material analysis method FTIR called Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a technique with a wide range of manufacturing applications in the pharmaceutical, medical device and petroleum industries.

FTIR is commonly used to identify contaminants in healthcare packaging materials, determine the makeup of questionable raw materials or check the composition of inks used for package printing. This method is non-destructive so that the same sample can be used again for other purposes.

FTIR is an analytical technique used to obtain an absorption infrared spectrum characteristic of the materials under analysis. The technique works by shining a beam of infrared light made of multiple wavelengths on the sample. Then, the machine analyses which light is absorbed, creating a spectrum. This spectrum is characteristic of the material sample makeup due to the properties of the chemical bonds between different elements, which absorb light at different frequencies. A spectrum of a tested sample can be compared to a library of spectra to match up the sample spectrum with that of an identical sample from the collection to identify what material is present.

The first step is to analyse a background spectrum to remove any possible interferences from the local environment. Next, the sample is placed in the FTIR analyser. The sample is bombarded with radiation from an IR source (most commonly an interferometer) with the sample absorbing certain wavelengths of the radiation. A detector, which scans the incoming radiation that has passed through the material without being absorbed (known as transmitted radiation), gathers this information as raw data. The detector then takes this data and runs it through a computer using a mathematical technique called the Fourier transformation to create a characteristic spectrum for the material. The technique can also be performed by detecting the radiation that is reflected off the surface of the material rather than what is transmitted through it.

For further information regarding FTIR analysis or other material analysis and services, contact the Nelipak Laboratory Services team at cla-labservices@nelipak.com or go to our website.

FTIR analyser

Nelipak Laboratory Services Performs Package Integrity Testing to Ensure Sterility and Integrity of Products

Burst Testing and Porosity Testing Help Determine Suitability of Packaging Materials

Clara, Ireland September 20, 2021Nelipak® Laboratory Services (“Nelipak”), a leading provider of healthcare packaging testing for the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors, provides further details on the company’s package integrity testing process.

Previously, the team detailed burst bubble leak and seal strength. Package Integrity is a major concern for all manufacturers particularly ones in the medical device industry where the sterility and integrity of products can have a major impact on patients’ health.

In the third part of this series, we will examine two common tests often used to determine the suitability of packaging materials – burst testing and porosity testing. Nelipak Laboratory Services, a fully ISO 17025 accredited lab, provides these testing services to companies across multiple industry sectors.

Burst testing is a commonly performed test to determine a non-porous package’s ability to withstand internal pressurization. It can also be used to determine if a particular area of a package is more prone to pressure-related failures than the rest of the package. This method, performed to ASTM F1140/F1140M at our labs, involves pressurizing the packaging by continually raising the pressure until the package fails. There are different test methods for both open and closed packaging types such as pouches or blisters. This method can be performed in several ways including a “creep” test, where pressure is maintained inside the packaging for a period of time or until the packaging fails.

Nelipak Laboratory Services perform porosity testing utilising the Bendtsen method (ISO Standard 5636-3). This method determines the air permeance of porous packaging materials such as paper or Tyvek, which is the amount of air that can pass through the material. This information can be useful in determining attributes such as a package’s resistance to moisture. This method works by taking several samples of the material and analysing the airflow through both the top and bottom of the material (to take into consideration the coating or layering of the material) before calculating an average value for the whole material.

For further information regarding package integrity testing and other services, contact the Nelipak Laboratory Services team at cla-labservices@nelipak.com  or go to our website.

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About Nelipak® Corporation

With facilities in Cranston, RI; Whitehall, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Venray, the Netherlands; Galway, Ireland; Clara, Ireland; Derry, Northern Ireland; Elsham, United Kingdom; Humacao, Puerto Rico; and San Jose, Costa Rica, Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging designs, develops and manufactures custom packaging products that provide superior protection for medical devices and pharmaceuticals.   Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging customers consist of some of the largest and most reputable medical device and pharmaceutical companies in the world.  With over 1,400 employees worldwide, Nelipak® is focused on delivering superior quality and customer experience through world class manufacturing at each of its locations.

Nelipak® Laboratory Services is a trade name of Nelipak Corporation

Follow us on:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/nelipak1953 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nelipak
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/nelipakhealthcare

Nelipak Marketing Contact:
Seán Egan
Director of Global Marketing
Nelipak Healthcare Packaging
+353-91-709-163
sean.egan@nelipak.com

Press Contact:
Sage Morander
SVM Public Relations
sage.morander@svmpr.com

                

Nelipak Laboratory Services Offers Package Material Testing

Clara, Ireland August 24, 2021 – Material testing is an important aspect of the design of various packaging types. Nelipak® Laboratory Services (“Nelipak”), a leading provider of healthcare packaging testing for the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors, offers a variety of material test methods to evaluate several different attributes of packaging materials to determine if a specific material is suitable for use in a customer project.

This piece examines three material testing methods that the lab performs: Gelbo flex testing, Tensile testing and Coefficient of Friction. Nelipak Laboratory Services is a fully accredited testing laboratory for these methods and many others.

Gelbo Flex testing, which is performed to ASTM standard F392, is a test to determine the flexural resistance of flexible barrier materials. The material is strained by a combination of twists and compressions for a certain period. After the material has been strained in this way, a colored dye is placed on it to see the number of pinholes that have been created by the straining of the material. The fewer the number of holes the stronger the material is.

Coefficient of Friction, also known as a slip test, is commonly performed for materials that will be involved in automated processes in the factory or stacking of completed products. The test performed at Nelipak to ASTM D1894 involves preparing a specimen of the film and wrapping it in a sled to measure the force required to pull it along a surface.

Tensile testing from ASTM Standard D882 determines the mechanical properties of films such as tensile yield, strength, elongation and modulus. The sample is subjected to a known and controlled tension until failure of the material using a testing frame machine.

For further information regarding material testing and other services, contact the Nelipak Laboratory Services team at cla-labservices@nelipak.com  or go to our website.

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About Nelipak® Corporation

With facilities in Cranston, RI; Whitehall, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Venray, the Netherlands; Galway, Ireland; Clara, Ireland; Derry, Northern Ireland; Elsham, United Kingdom; Humacao, Puerto Rico; and San Jose, Costa Rica, Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging designs, develops and manufactures custom packaging products that provide superior protection for medical devices and pharmaceuticals.   Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging customers consist of some of the largest and most reputable medical device and pharmaceutical companies in the world.  With over 1,400 employees worldwide, Nelipak® is focused on delivering superior quality and customer experience through world class manufacturing at each of its locations.

Nelipak® Laboratory Services is a trade name of Nelipak Corporation

Follow us on:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/nelipak1953 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nelipak
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/nelipakhealthcare

Nelipak Marketing Contact:
Seán Egan
Director of Global Marketing
Nelipak Healthcare Packaging
+353-91-709-163
sean.egan@nelipak.com

Press Contact:
Sage Morander
SVM Public Relations
sage.morander@svmpr.com