West and Vetter Collaborate to Offer Customers an Innovative Filling Solution for Biopharmaceutical Drugs

West (NYSE: WST), a leading global manufacturer of components and systems for injectable drug delivery, and Vetter, a leading international independent specialist in the aseptic filling of drug-delivery systems, have collaborated to provide customers with the ability to source filled Daikyo Crystal Zenith® syringes.

Providing the best solution to the challenges of packaging and delivering today’s sensitive and complex biopharmaceutical products requires not only a unique syringe system, but also the assurance that this system can be filled, handled, validated and approved in accordance with appropriate cGMPs and pharmaceutical practices.

To help customers transition to the Daikyo Crystal Zenith syringe system, West has been working extensively with Vetter. This relationship has allowed both companies to develop and optimize the manufacturing, validation and packaging of the syringe system to engineer compatibility with the filling capabilities and requirements at Vetter. Media fills and equipment validation are underway for the 1mL long insert needle syringe system.

To support this initiative, investments have been made at Vetter’s facilities in Germany and at their new Chicago facility. Capabilities will initially exist for early-phase clinical filling in Germany. Options for commercial-scale filling will be available.

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to offer our customers an innovative solution, combining the benefits of the Daikyo Crystal Zenith syringe system with the biopharmaceutical fill and finish capabilities of one of the world’s leading contract development and manufacturing organizations,” said Donald E. Morel, Jr., Ph.D., West’s Chairman and CEO. "Vetter is an established market leader in the manufacture of aseptically prefilled drug-delivery systems for biopharmaceutical products, and we are pleased to have this ongoing relationship.”

"We’re pleased to partner with West on this advanced new technology,” said Mr. Thomas Otto, Vetter Managing Director. "Vetter has always sought to stay at the forefront of innovation, so that we can serve the needs of our customers and the growing biotechnology industry.”

West will exhibit the Daikyo Crystal Zenith and other prefillable syringe systems at the 2011 PDA Europe conference, The Universe of Pre-filled Syringes and Injection Devices, in Basel, Switzerland, November 7-11, 2011. Christa Jansen-Otten, Director Prefillable Syringe Platform, Europe for West, will participate in a seminar on pre-filled syringe materials on November 9 at 7:45 a.m.

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 2010 totaled US$1.1 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: www.twitter.com/WestPharma.

About Vetter

Vetter is an international contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in the aseptic filling of syringes, cartridges and vials. The company has extensive experience with a broad array of compounds, including monoclonal antibodies, peptides, interferons and vaccines. An independent firm headquartered in Ravensburg, Germany, Vetter provides support for pharmaceutical and biotech clients from preclinical development through regulatory approval and global market supply. Vetter’s new Chicago facility, an expansion of Vetter Development Service, supports early-stage products. The CDMO works with the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical/biotech firms and emerging companies alike, and employs approximately 2,400 staff across Europe and the United States. The innovator of the Vetter Lyo-Ject^® dual-chamber syringe and V-LK^® cartridge, the company holds nearly 140 patents and is a leader in the use of RABS technology in cleanrooms. Approved as a foreign manufacturer by the government of Japan, Vetter’s global regulatory experience includes numerous customer product approvals by the FDA, EMA and other authorities. Over its more than 25-year history in aseptic filling, Vetter has won many awards for its facilities and operations, including Frost & Sullivan’s 2011 European Prefilled Injection Systems Customer Service Leadership Award. Visit Vetter online at http://www.vetter-pharma.com.

Daikyo Crystal Zenith® is a registered trademark of Daikyo Seiko, Ltd.

Crystal Zenith technology is licensed from Daikyo Seiko, Ltd.

Vetter and Lyo-Ject® are registered trademarks of Vetter Pharma-Fertigung GmbH& Co.KG in Germany, the United States and other jurisdictions.