03/02/2005 - SÜD-CHEMIE LAUNCHES DESICCANT WASHER FOR PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATIONS

BELEN, NEW MEXICO (February 21, 2005) – Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging, a business unit of Süd-Chemie Group, recently launched a new desiccant washer to keep pharmaceutical products safe from moisture damage.

The desiccant washer resides where the cap joins the bottle and is designed to rest in the neck of a pharmaceutical container. The washer is ideal for use when the presence of a loose desiccant within pharmaceutical packaging is undesirable. A version of the desiccant washer can even be used in bottles with an induction seal, allowing manufacturers to easily incorporate the solution into their overall packaging program.

Because it can be easily removed upon opening, the desiccant washer is especially useful in protecting powdered pharmaceuticals products, which require protection from moisture only until being reconstituted by the end user. In this case, the desiccant washer would be removed, water added to the bottle, the original closure replaced and the product mixed. With the desiccant washer technology, manufacturers can ensure that the powdered formulation will remain safe from moisture, while also eliminating the possibility that the presence of a drop-in desiccant would interfere with the integrity of the product once mixed.

Süd-Chemie's new desiccant washer rests in the neck of pharmaceutical bottles to ensure easy removal by consumers.

Desiccant washers are customized to fit customer requirements and specifications. Other solutions such as inserts and washers, which snap into the caps of pharmaceutical bottles, are also available.

Süd-Chemie will display its new desiccant washer, along with its full line of pharmaceutical solutions, at the Interphex 2005 trade show April 26 to 28 in New York City at Booth 2116.

Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging is a global manufacturer of active, smart and protective packaging solutions, including desiccants, packaged absorbents, absorbent polymers, humidity indicators and other customized solutions. The company has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as a worldwide network of sales offices and distributors. Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging provides packaging solutions to pharmaceutical, diagnostic, nutraceutical, electronic, food, agriculture, chemical, automotive and many other industries. The company is ISO 9001:2000 certified and is a member of Süd-Chemie Group, a global organization with more than 60 manufacturing and marketing companies worldwide.

For more information on Süd-Chemie products, contact: Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging; 926 South 8th Street, PO Box 610, Colton, CA, 92324; Tel: 310-373-0501; Toll Free: 800-966-1793; Fax: 310-349-3328; Web site: www.s-cpp.com.