Adams Respiratory Therapeutics Realizes Savings with Switchover to New Desiccant System

Philadelphia, PA –- (March 26, 2008) –- To maintain strong growth and dominance in the over-the-counter (OTC) respiratory market, Adams Respiratory Therapeutics continuously pursues opportunities to increase productivity to meet market demand for its popular Mucinex brand of expectorants. In a recent effort, the company transitioned to Multisorb Technologies’ StripPax® System on one of its packaging lines at its Fort Worth, TX , facility.  The new implementation has enabled Adams to reduce material costs and increase production efficiency, leading to an anticipated $300,000 in annual cost savings.

The StripPax System, developed by Multisorb Technologies, the global leader in active packaging solutions, incorporates Multisorb’s StripPax desiccant packets and Multisorb’s APA-2000 StripPax dispensing equipment. Adams is utilizing this system to protect its Mucinex SE, Mucinex DM, Maximum Strength Mucinex, and Maximum Strength Mucinex DM products from drug formulation degradation.

Prior to employing the StripPax System, Adams had been using another supplier’s

desiccant canisters and dispensing equipment. But with the rapid increase in Mucinex demand, the company needed a more cost-effective solution to account for growing volumes. 

Multisorb’s StripPax System served as an efficient alternative with higher processing speeds, helping Adams account for anticipated growth and bring their batches to market quickly. The StripPax System has been running at rates of up to 180 bottles per minute and with a maximum output of more than 300 units per minute it has the capacity to accommodate future needs. 

The cost differential between the two desiccant formats was another key consideration that led to the changeover. Adams had been protecting its products from moisture degradation by dispensing 1 and 2.5 gram desiccant canisters in its adult-oral solid Mucinex. The per-unit cost of the previously used canisters was also a concern due to the anticipated increase in packaging volumes. These considerations led Adams to switch to 1, 2.5, and 5-gram silica gel StripPax packets for its adult oral-solid Mucinex line.

Quality control was yet another significant concern. The previous canister dispensing system experienced problems with repetitive machine jams. “Our sales have gone up dramatically over the past couple of years, and we realized we had to take a hard look at our packaging systems,” said Chris Collins, packaging engineer at Adams .

The StripPax System is enabling Adams to meet the company’s revised output requirements without expanding production foot space. The APA-2000 StripPax dispensing equipment takes up a relatively small footprint, and the dispenser unit is separate from the unwind system. In Adams ’ facility the dispenser is placed in one corner of the line and the unwind system is out of the way until needed – a flexibility that maximizes available space.

The APA equipment is designed by Multisorb to be used with its StripPax packets, which are compact, non-dusting packets that are accurately dispensed from StripPax dispensers at high speeds. Multisorb offers customized packets depending on the requirements for different drug formulation.

Adams Respiratory Therapeutics is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the late-stage development, commercialization and marketing of over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals for the treatment of respiratory disorders. For additional information, please visit, www.mucinex.com.

Adams, Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, Mucinex, Delsym and the Mr. Mucus character are registered trademarks or are the subject of pending trademark applications of Adams Respiratory Therapeutics.  Each of the other trademarks, trade names or service marks appearing in this document belongs to its respective holder.

Multisorb Technologies has been an innovator in sorbent technology for over 45 years. Founded in 1961 by John S. Cullen to protect products against the damaging effects of moisture, today Multisorb is the world leader in the development and production of active packaging components.

Multisorb’s corporate offices are located at 325 Harlem Road, Buffalo, New York 14224. For more information contact: Phone: +1 716-824-8900; Fax: +1 716-824-4128; E-mail: info@multisorb.com; Website: www.multisorb.com.