With over 40 years in the pharmaceutical packaging industry, Lameplast Group is actively looking to the future. So far, 2017 has seen the company grow ever stronger with the investment of Aksìa as the company embraces the globe with its new partners and continues to anticipate pharma packaging requirements. Barbara Reguzzoni explains what is happening.

How would you describe Lameplast?

Lameplast Group provides complete, integrated services for the manufacturing, filling and packaging of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and personal care worldwide. Lameplast's customers can benefit from all the advantages of a comprehensive service from the design of new containers through to the finished product and the knowledge that the company already has over 40 successful years of experience behind it.

One of the most noteworthy points of reference is that Lameplast Group was the first company in the sector to design, test and mass-manufacture single-dose plastic containers —in both PE and PP— for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries using the injection moulding system.

The company was founded in 1976 and since 1980 Lameplast Group has patented a number of different single-dose primary packaging containers which are useful for a variety of products as well as having the capability to meet a broad range of current industry standards and regulations.

How does being an Italian manufacturer affect the company's worldwide presence?

The company is based in Italy, near Bologna, with 3 manufacturing plants. However, we have also a subsidiary in Florida, USA for the manufacture of cosmetic and OTC packaging products.

The Italian entrepreneurial values of the company are and have always been advocated across the board, no matter where the location and since the company has been acquired by Aksìa Group SGR, this has not changed. The founding partners, Giovanni Ferrari, Evro Fabbri and Antonio Fontana maintain their positions on the company's board of directors to ensure that although Lameplast Group is now facing global challenges, it maintains the strength of its foundations.

Who or what is Aksìa and how will the company influence Lameplast?

Aksìa is one of the most experienced, cohesive and long-standing funds in Italy. It was established in Milan in 1997 by three founding partners with a strong focus toward creating long term value, and the company continues to be located in Milan, with the same focus. 

Aksìa Group SGR has acquired 100% of Lameplast Group and the relationship will be highly beneficial for the company to face the challenges of the future and make a qualitative leap on a global scale as it grows stronger from the private equity fund. The acquisition covers the three companies in the group — Lameplast, COC Farmaceutici and the subsidiary LF of America which is the overseas division based in Miami. The role of Aksìa is to promote and increase strategic value in the medium term of about 5-7 years by strengthening the company's management and industrial base through mergers, acquisitions and operations. Working with Aksìa is an important choice in order to extend the company's project around the world.

What else is new at Lameplast?

We are currently promoting a new product and later this year we will be presenting a new filling machine!

At Pharmapack Paris in February, we presented a new single-dose strip that allows for an extensive amount of information to be stored. This latest breakthrough was designed to cater to new market demands and increasingly more stringent international regulations and benefits as a single-dose strip with even more space available for printing and the inclusion of product information. Across Europe and in the USA, new regulations require product information on each individual container in addition to those which are indicated on the pack and/or package inserts. It's a way of increasing product safety and making it always recognizable, even when each container is stored outside its pack.

We will shortly be launching a very innovative filling machine that will complete our current range of our models available. This new machine has been specifically designed for filling single-dose plastic containers in a sterile environment and will be presented in the autumn-winter 2017 period

You mentioned that Lameplast launched the new single-dose strip at Pharmapack Paris. Will the company be attending any other events this year?

Oh yes! 2017 is a year full of important exhibitions for Lameplast Group. In the first part of the year we participated at Pharmapack Paris and at Westpack Anaheim (California) and CPhI North America, both in the USA. Right now we are ready for Simposio AFI, an Italian exhibition focused on pharmaceutical industry and in the second part of the year we will be at Propack Asia in Thailand; Pack Expo, Las Vegas, USA; CPhI Worldwide in Frankfurt, Germany; Andina Pack in Colombia and PMEC India as well.

As the marketing manager for Lameplast Group I can say without doubt that this year is proving to be incredibly busy for me as I manage all of the corporate marketing and general communications which include corporate events and trade shows, marketing strategy and campaign development, elaboration of the company's web site, public & media relations, and more. I'm actually qualified with a degree in pharmaceuticals so I collaborate a lot when new products are launched.

What's next for Lameplast?

At the moment Lameplast Group is going to continue on the same trajectory. Pharmaceuticals products and medical devices manufactured by Lameplast Group will be of the highest quality standards, ensured through the know-how and experience which the company has gained in over 40 years working within the sector. Lameplast Group will continue its work to be a turn-key solution partner offering the market excellent solutions that are always original and anticipating as the market's needs develop in the future.