German compounding company Albis Plastic (Hamburg; www.albis.com) is expanding its portfolio to include customised compounds for healthcare applications such as medical products, pharmaceutical packaging and diagnostics. The company said it was reacting to market developments and changes in legislation like the introduction of the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) on 25 May 2017.

“We are seeing a continuously growing demand from the processing industry for compounds that both comply with the regulatory requirements and offer customer specific material solutions. ‘Alcom’ Med means we can guarantee our customers production with strict quality criteria and offer close project support through our experienced healthcare specialists,” said Mike Freudenstein, director of marketing healthcare at Albis.

The company is also creating an entirely self-contained production line for Alcom Med compounds at its site in Hamburg. It did not disclose when this would be operational.

In addition, Albis plans to bring its quality management system in line with those applicable to medical products. The compounder said this would provide it with a practical foundation and ensure safety and quality in healthcare applications. “Our investment will enable us to be flexible even with small quantities whilst also being able to deliver worldwide,” Freudenstein commented.

The Alcom Med brand is based on different polymers and includes colourings and fillers, for example mineral, fibreglass and barium sulphate. Albis said the range complements its existing healthcare portfolio, which it distributes on behalf of long-standing partners, including LyondellBasell, Ineos Styrolution, Covestro, Eastman and Solvay.