Honeywell (Morris Township, NJ) markets its pharmaceutical packaging film under the trade name Aclar; the new grade is called Aclar UltRx 6000. Aclar UltRx 6000 is a 6 mil, 152-micron thermoformable film that Honeywell says provides an extremely low water/moisture vapor transmission rate (WVTR/MVTR). All Aclar films are transparent and are based on polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) fluoropolymers.

This property helps protect drugs especially in climatic Zones 4 and 4B, which includes many parts of South America, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, countries and regions where demand growth for pharmaceuticals is expected to be especially strong in the coming years. According to IMS Health, an information services provider for the healthcare industry, the pharmaceuticals market in emerging regions, including several Zone IV countries, is expected to grow by 14 - 17% through 2014.

Aclar films, including Aclar UltRx 6000, can also help reduce drug package sizes by up to 55% compared with cold-formed foil. Aclar UltRx 6000 can be used in the existing equipment, with only minor adjustments, that pharmaceutical companies use to thermoform their packages.

"This Aclar film gives pharmaceutical companies a clear, ultra-high barrier choice for their most moisture-sensitive drugs sold in the most challenging regions," said Jeff Czarnecki, global leader of Honeywell's health care and packaging business. "This new film will help pharmaceutical companies around the world protect their medicines, simplify their supply chains, and improve their branding."