Republished by Newlife - Flexstone. All rights belong to the original publisher; see Source below.

Healthcare packaging suppliers are investing in new capabilities this year to keep pace with a rapidly evolving global market. In the US and abroad, these capital investments are critical to manufacturing, testing, and delivering increasingly complex medical products.

But these developments represent far more than simple capacity expansion. As medical technology advances, healthcare brands routinely rely on their packaging partners for breakthrough innovation, technical expertise, and engineering solutions to complex packaging challenges.

While most of this year’s investments target high-margin prescription drugs and medical devices, many opportunities in consumer healthcare products, such as over-the-counter medications, remain untapped. With healthcare costs rising, packaging that supports more affordable treatment options deserves attention alongside high-tech solutions used for injectables and biologics. Additionally, the ongoing USD 170-billion-plus pharma reshoring boom in the United States may be a driver of some stateside projects.

The following list, arranged alphabetically, breaks down the major capacity expansions driving the industry forward in 2026 and setting the stage for a highly collaborative 2027.

Amcor Amcor announced a multi-million-dollar investment at its Sira, India, facility to expand healthcare packaging production and shorten lead times. The new manufacturing line increases capacity for ophthalmic containers, injectable vials, and other healthcare packaging.

Aptar Pharma Aptar Pharma commissioned an advanced preservative-free (APF) pump production line in Berazategui, Argentina, strengthening local manufacturing capabilities and supporting the company’s local-for-local approach in the region. The APF line is also part of Aptar Pharma’s broader global expansion program.

Colbert Packaging Colbert installed its fifth blanking die cutter this year, increasing folding-carton production capacity. It also announced a second outsert folding system, increasing capacity for pharmaceutical inserts and IFUs. The company cites the aging population and regulatory requirements as factors driving ongoing demand for printed inserts.

Gerresheimer Gerresheimer continues to ramp up its major capacity expansion program with previously announced projects in the US and abroad. These include plans for high-volume autoinjector production in Peachtree City, GA, and expansion of tubular-glass production for pharmaceutical vials in Morganton, NC. In 2026, the company opened a plant in Zhenjiang Dagang, China, for glass packaging.

Nelipak Nelipak is building a healthcare packaging facility in Grecia, Costa Rica, with ISO 7 cleanroom manufacturing and expanded thermoforming, die-cutting, and warehousing capacity. The expansion contributes to strengthening Nelipak’s value chain and consolidating the country as a hub for medical device manufacturing.

Nemera The company broke ground on a production hall at its La Verpillière site in Isère, France. The project aims to double the size of the La Verpillière site by 2030. The expansion is a response to growing global demand, particularly for injection pens used in the treatment of diabetes and obesity.

Packaging Compliance Labs PCL announced an investment in a dedicated cGMP pharmaceutical laboratory and capital equipment, expanding its package testing capabilities into pharmaceutical applications. The move fills a gap in full-service package testing.

PCI Pharma Services The company announced a series of investments covering US and European operations. The Bedford, NH, site is commissioning a new isolator vial/lyophilization line capable of 33 million vials annually. Philadelphia and Rockford are also receiving drug-device assembly and packaging buildouts that will come online over the following six months. The investments come as pharma manufacturers increasingly prioritize US supply chain resilience.

Prent Thermoforming Prent is building a medical packaging facility in Heredia, Costa Rica. The facility will house six thermoforming machines, a new line for trays up to 72 inches, and a Class 7 cleanroom. The expansion is expected to double its production capacity in Costa Rica.

Schott Pharma Schott opened new production lines for standard and sterile RTU glass vials at its Lebanon, PA, site. The investment strengthens the US domestic supply chain and enables rapid response in case of public health emergencies. State-of-the-art equipment supports high-value solutions, such as biologic medications and novel drug formulations.

Sharp Services Sharp is adding assembly capacity at its US facilities in Macungie and Bethlehem, PA, to support injectable programs, along with additional temperature-controlled storage. The company is also expanding capabilities in Belgium with new assembly equipment, functional testing, and a fully automatic 2-8°C warehouse.

Sterimed Sterimed’s Suzhou operation completed an expansion of its coating capacity with a new coating line that produces rollstock materials for the healthcare market. The investment reflects a long-term commitment to the region and better serves customers in Asia-Pacific and global markets.

Stevanato Group Stevanato is expanding drug delivery manufacturing capacity in Italy and the US, increasing prefilled syringe production and adding future ready-to-use cartridge capacity. The investment will also complete the company’s device manufacturing facility in Fishers, IN.

Steri-Tek Steri-Tek is expanding its terminal sterilization facility in Lewisville, Texas, to increase the site’s capacity for US government purposes during future public health emergency response efforts.

Südpack Medica In July 2026, the company completed expansion of its facility in Coulmer, France, nearly doubling the site’s ISO Class 7 and 8 cleanroom production areas. The expanded facility increases capacity for pharmaceutical primary packaging and sterile barrier systems.

TekniPlex Healthcare At its facility in Modena, Italy, TekniPlex has added injection blow molding capacity for multidose vial packaging, supporting a range of pharmaceutical liquid applications, including the growing ophthalmic segment.

West Pharmaceutical Services In March, 2026, West Pharmaceutical Services opened a 165,000-sq.-ft. expansion at its Damastown, Dublin, facility. The expansion increases global capacity for high-volume injectable therapies, including GLP-1 treatments.

Source

- Plastics Today (2026-10-30) - Original article: 17 Healthcare Packaging Suppliers Expanding Capacity in 2026 - https://www.plasticstoday.com/packaging/17-healthcare-packaging-suppliers-expanding-capacity-in-2026