How the War on COVID-19 is Driving Innovation in Temperature-controlled Packaging – and Beyond

It has been a tough year. At times, throughout 2020, it has felt like we have been facing a battle with little end in sight. Although this may seem like an overly dramatic statement, the challenges brought by COVID-19 have invoked all kinds of wartime comparisons – we talk about health professionals on the ‘front line’, in the UK lockdown has rekindled memories of the ‘blitz spirit’, news conferences speak about ‘defeating’ the infection as if it is a physical opponent, with some going as far as to label the virus as an ‘invisible enemy’.

And, of course, the grim reality of the tragic deaths caused by the pandemic regularly reminds us that lives are at stake.

Yet in a switch in perspective, we can also seek a more positive parallel between the last few months and times of war: the inevitable and necessary acceleration in innovation – and innovative thinking – that is driven by the need to overcome a crisis.

In this article, I want to outline how I believe the vital work being done to defeat COVID-19 is sparking innovative thinking and driving change, by looking at the pharma packaging sector both in terms of method of delivery and sustainability. It is also proving what can be done, with collaboration, focus and the will of humanity if we really want to make a change.

Of course, I am not seeking to deny or downplay the clear challenges and tragic impact on so many that COVID-19 has ultimately brought with it. However, I want to focus on what could be the post-virus positives, those takeaways that I personally feel are so important to keep focus in times like this. We all need a potential silver lining when things feel so dark.

Just as the technological innovations of the Second World War led to the moon landings and the social impact of World War One brought a revolution in housing, the response to COVID-19 will drive

Right now, as the world holds its breath for news of the successful development of a viable vaccine, the pharma industry is very much in the public’s thoughts.

scientific advances and societal change, ultimately bringing about improvements to benefit future generations.

Let’s return to the wartime analogy. There is no doubt that the horrors of 20th century conflicts drove medical and scientific advances. The challenges of treating troops in the field resulted in surgical advances. World War I brought about the regular use of blood transfusions. World War II expanded the use of antibiotics, which were mass produced for the first time. Vietnam saw the introduction of frozen blood products, and the use of antiseptic and antibiotic impregnated dressings.

These were all life-saving advances triggered by crisis and, as we face the COVID-19 pandemic, innovation has once again been accelerated.

In pharma, of course, that vital work can be most readily be seen in the more than 150 vaccines currently being developed across the globe at an accelerated pace, backed by eye-watering levels of funding. In the US, it has been reported that the federal government has allocated more than $9 billion to develop and manufacture candidate vaccines. More than $2.5 billion more has been earmarked for vials to store the vaccines, syringes to deliver them, and on efforts to ramp up manufacturing and capacity.

The effects of this vital research – and the challenging times we live in – are also tangible in attitudes to packaging, delivery chains and business practices. For a start, the advent of lockdowns has accelerated the growing trend for home delivery and home working. The 21st century was already fast becoming an era of doorstep delivery, thanks to the growth of online shopping and global brands such as eBay and Amazon.

When we first began our business producing temperature-controlled packaging, online shopping and commerce was seen as a novelty that was mistrusted by many – but we have seen it grow and grow.

Enforced lockdowns have driven this trend further and faster, with home working and courier delivery growing exponentially. It could be argued that, in the lockdowns of 2020, online commerce finally came of age.

In pharma, that has meant a need for passive temperature-controlled packaging solutions that can deliver medicines reliably to the doorstep – thanks to a sudden boom in online pharmacy, driven by the pandemic.

It has been reported that there are the more than 150 COVID-19 vaccines currently being developed across the globe at an accelerated pace.

Elsewhere within the sector, we have seen clinical trials switched to the home setting, providing efficiencies for firms developing treatments while ensuring patients do not have to travel. The response to the pandemic is driving innovation, and challenging the ‘way things always have been done’, to perhaps looks at ways to improve.

This has been reflected in more online pharmacies and life sciences firms enquiring about the benefits of sustainable packaging solutions.

Again, this reflects the recent acceleration of an already growing trend. Improvements in passive temperature-controlled packaging have been attracting interest from the pharmaceutical sector for some time, not least because of the reliability it provides in challenging delivery chains – for example delivering into rural or remote areas, where refrigerated transit is difficult.

For passive solutions, hard scientific data has proven to pharma buyers that sustainable options now outperform manmade options such as polystyrene, and they have been beginning to take notice.

This acceleration of a trend indicates that the pandemic is not only driving direct innovation but innovative thinking too, with firms choosing to bring forward a change to a sustainable packaging option.

The pandemic is forcing more people to use online pharmacy services, but it is the pharmacies themselves who are choosing to drive societal change by embracing sustainable packaging now, rather than later.

Accelerated societal change such as this, driven by a major crisis, is not unusual. To return again to the wartime analogy, World War One brought about significant changes to the role of women in the workplace. In the UK, after playing their part in the war effort, women moved from traditional work as household servants to better-paid jobs in industry and clerical roles. Nearly half of the first recruits to the London General Omnibus Company in 1916 were former domestic servants. The number of women in the civil service increased from 33,000 in 1911 to 102,000 by 1921.

Similarly, the Second World War provided the social and political momentum that led to the creation of the National Health Service and the UK’s modern welfare state.

It is arguable that the worldwide crisis we now find ourselves in is building the momentum that was already behind societal changes in sustainability and social responsibility. Again, the packaging sector provides a window on these changes.

Prior to the pandemic, the corporate world was clearly and very publicly reacting to climate change and fears about environmental impact. Corporations were committing to sustainable business approaches, with promising results. Unilever, for example, has seen its much-heralded 26 ‘sustainable living brands’ outperform the average rate of growth for the rest of its stable over the last four years. Even a cursory look at media reports around the packaging industry over the last couple of years would show how the ‘green’ agenda was driving decision-making more and more for all kinds of products and manufacturers.

Pharma products, of course, are different. They demand exacting standards when it comes to packaging. The delivery of medicines, vaccines, treatments and medical equipment can literally be a matter of life and death.

So, lofty ambitions to avoid plastic or glass in packaging may be possible for some sectors, but in pharma the viability of contents and the health of the consumer must always come before sustainable ideals.

It always has to be about creating the right packaging solution for the job at hand first and foremost – although in the last few years, we have seen the growth of sustainable ambitions within the pharmaceutical sector, with individuals or departments responsible for improving the sustainability of companies and their commitment to ‘greener’ policies both internally and externally.

The pandemic, and the necessity to deliver straight to the consumer more often, is encouraging pharma to look again at the wealth of scientific evidence that they too can choose sustainable options tailored to their needs, without undermining the high standards they have always set.

The pandemic is also changing the way companies act. For evidence of the growing

The US federal government is said to have allocated more than $9 billion to develop and manufacture candidate vaccines.

move towards social responsibility in the business world, look no further than the growth of the B Corporation movement.

Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. There are currently over 3500 Certified B Corporations in more than 70 countries, with 188 in the UK.

Put simply, B Corps are developing a global culture shift which aims to redefine business success and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Idealistic? Certainly. Achievable? Evidently. vaccine development. Public understanding of just how challenging it is to produce a vaccine has probably never been higher.

Once a vaccine is developed, governments worldwide face another huge challenge – delivering it across the globe. Work on this huge task has been running parallel to the search for a vaccine, overseen by the COVID-19 Tools Accelerator which was convened by the World Health Organisation and global vaccine agencies such as CEPI and GAVI.

It is supporting the building of manufacturing capabilities, and buying supply, ahead of time so that 2 billion doses can be fairly distributed by the end of 2021.

The B Corp world is not a fluffy commune of well-meaning hippy start-ups, it is a global network of forward-thinking businesses with a growing pharma membership, from Italy’s Chiesi Group to California’s Neotech Products.

Tellingly, this summer Fortune magazine reported that interest in The B Corp movement is accelerating during the pandemic, with a spike in interest at B Lab, the non-profit that certifies new B Corps. Again, the pandemic appears to be driving innovative thinking. Here, packaging will be crucial. Even in the demanding world of pharma, the transportation of vaccines enforces remarkably exacting standards if the contents are to arrive fit for purpose.

Usually, vaccines must be stored in their original packaging at +2°C to +8°C and protected from light, as exposure to ultraviolet light will cause loss of potency.

Keeping the original packaging is critical too, as it is printed with the relevant expiry dates and batch numbers.

Right now, as the world holds its breath for news of the successful development of a viable vaccine, the pharma industry is very much in the public’s thoughts. Much has been written about the possible timeline of

Some vaccines have fairly short expiry dates, while all of them are sensitive to heat and cold. Heat speeds up the decline in potency of most vaccines, thus reducing their shelf-life. Freezing may cause deterioration of the vaccine and lead to hairline cracks in the ampoule, vial or prefilled syringe which could potentially allow the contents to become contaminated.

Effectiveness cannot be guaranteed for vaccines unless they have been stored at the correct temperature, so the right choice of delivery solution is crucial. While the original packaging is vital for the above reasons, extra passive temperaturecontrolled packaging is often required for deliveries.

Innovation, however, has a habit of moving the goalposts. Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine – reported as 90% effective – is an RNA vaccine, and was created after researchers genetically engineered SARSCoV-2 genes and captured their blueprint. During shipment and storage, the vaccines must be kept at a staggering -70°C in order to maintain optimal efficacy.

As a consequence, Pfizer is building a massive cold-storage supply chain to handle transporting limited doses of its coronavirus vaccine from manufacturer to any point in the US within two days. Logistics of this scale alone will drive new innovations in the field.

In the UK, doctors’ surgeries are being given instructions on how to set up clinics to deliver the jabs.

Whether it is delivering the Pfizer vaccine or one of the 10 others around the globe now reportedly in the final stages of testing, pharma packaging is about to be put to the test like never before. Perhaps it will also provide the ultimate test of how far the pandemic has accelerated innovative thinking within the sector, when it comes to sustainability.

With so many millions of vaccines to be sent out, will pharma and governments opt for the man-made options of polyboxes, which will go on to clutter up landfill sites and pollute the environment? Will the carbon impact of the enormous cold chain infrastructure required be taken into account, or is this simply a time when speed of delivery – and lives – should take precedence over ‘green’ ideals?

You can only really assess how a worldwide crisis sparked innovation with the benefit of hindsight. Things we take for granted today – from vacuum flasks to computer chips to nuclear power – can trace

Whether it is delivering the Pfizer vaccine or one of the 10 others around the globe now reportedly in the final stages of testing, pharma packaging is about to be put to the test like never before.

their lineage back to breakthroughs made in the heat of war. We will only truly know how COVID-19 has driven innovation in years to come. The indications are that, just as the world has come together to fight the infection, the hardships many have suffered through lockdown are driving innovation in how life-saving pharma products are delivered. Besides, this pandemic is changing, and indeed must change, how business engages with society, on both environmental and social levels, in the future.

Josie Morris

Josie Morris BA (Hons), MA is Managing Director of The Wool Packaging Company Limited – Woolcool. A passionate advocate for diversity and the development of strong cultures within innovative businesses, Josie is also closely involved with organisations such as the BBIA (Bio-Based Industries Association) which lobby UK Government on the environmental problems of global packaging waste and support pioneering companies such as Woolcool, that offer genuinely sustainable alternatives to plastic materials.