West Announces Agreement with Janssen Biotech to Develop and Commercialize a New Self-injection Technology

LIONVILLE, Pa., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- West (NYSE: WST), a leading global manufacturer of components and systems for injectable drug delivery, today announced an agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc. to collaborate on the development and manufacturing of an innovative self-injection product. The technology, developed by Janssen Biotech, has been specifically designed to meet the needs of patients by facilitating easier self-injection of pharmaceutical and biologic drug products. West will market the new injection technology under the name SelfDose™ (http://www.selfdose.com/).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120904/NE65950LOGO )

West will be responsible for co-developing and handling the commercial scale-up and manufacture of the product, and will have the ability to offer the SelfDose injection technology as part of its expanding portfolio of self-injection technology platforms. The SelfDose injection technology complements West's ConfiDose® and SmartDose® injection technologies, and offers a solution for improved manual injection.

Providing the best solution to the challenges of packaging and delivering today's sensitive and complex biopharmaceutical products requires not only an effective drug container, but also a delivery system that can enable safe, effective and reliable delivery of the medication, especially when the administrator may be a patient. The SelfDose injection technology can help meet these challenges.

"We are delighted to have formalized our relationship with Janssen Biotech around this drug delivery platform and look forward to working together to commercialize the SelfDose injection technology, providing manufacturing, development and regulatory support through the remainder of the process," said Donald E. Morel, Jr., Ph.D., West's Chairman and CEO. "We value the opportunity to strengthen our long-standing relationship and are excited by this agreement. We look forward to working with Janssen to help them meet their business goals to restore health and serve patients."

About West

West's innovative system, device and component solutions help improve the safety and administration of injectable drugs. West's proprietary materials science, formulation research and manufacturing technologies advance the quality, therapeutic value, development speed and rapid market availability of pharmaceuticals, biologics and vaccines. Sales in 2011 totaled US$1.2 billion. West supports its customers from sales, manufacturing, customer support and research and development from locations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Global headquarters are in Lionville, Pa., USA. Visit West online at http://www.westpharma.com. Follow West on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WestPharma. 

SelfDose™ is a trademark of West.

ConfiDose® is a registered trademark of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions.

SmartDose® is a registered trademark of Medimop Medical Projects Ltd., a subsidiary of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

Media Contact:
Kristin Villiotte
Schwartz MSL
(781) 684-0770
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Investor Contact:
Michael A. Anderson
Vice President and Treasurer
(610) 594-3345
[email protected]

SOURCE West