The winners for the 2026 Pharmapack Awards have been officially announced at the show's prizegiving ceremony in Paris.
The Awards, sponsored by AAE B.V., celebrate both commercially available solutions making an impact today as well as breakthrough innovations that are poised to transform tomorrow's landscape, acknowledging current excellence while also fostering the next generation of pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery solutions.
The Awards recognised excellence across the following four categories:
- Eco-Design: recognising products and solutions that prioritise recyclability, environmental awareness and a reduced carbon footprint,
- Patient-Centric Design: highlighting products that are designed to improve safety, experience and adherence for the patient or caregiver,
- Delivery and Device Innovation: recognising innovative approaches to safe and effective drug administration across ophthalmic, parenteral, oral, respiratory, transdermal and topical drug delivery solutions,
- Packaging Innovation: spotlighting innovation in technologies, products, materials and services relating to primary, secondary and tertiary packaging solutions for finished drug forms.
Eco-Design: Smart Safe by Leca Farma
Leca Graphics, specialists in folding cartons, rigid boxes and customised developments for the pharma sector, presented a revolutionary case for medical vials that combines innovation, ergonomics and sustainability.
The Smart Safe represents a significant step forward in pharmaceutical packaging.
Featuring a mono-material design that integrates all functions into a single component, the solution streamlines manufacturing processes, reduces costs and supports improved recyclability.
It includes a safety flap and an adjustable ergonomic adapter, ensuring protection during transport and handling.
By combining innovation, sustainability and operational efficiency, Smart Safe aligns with circular economy principles and the pharmaceutical sector’s growing environmental commitments.
The approach not only addresses current market requirements but is also designed to anticipate the evolving needs of the industry.
Patient-Centric Design: YpsoLoop by YPSOMED
YpsoLoop is a prefilled autoinjector that brings together patient convenience and sustainability, overcoming the traditional trade-off between usability and environmental impact.
Designed around ecodesign and circularity principles, the two-step device delivers up to 87% lower material-related CO₂ emissions than conventional autoinjectors, with a cradle-to-gate footprint of around 18 g CO₂-eq per unit.
These reductions are achieved through smart material choices and simplified architecture, independent of future recycling schemes.
The device comprises two recyclable mono-material subassemblies, engineered for automated disassembly and closed-loop recycling when take-back systems are introduced.
YpsoLoop also enhances usability through continuous acoustic feedback during injection, an ergonomic cap, a clear dose window and needle concealment.
For pharmaceutical partners, the platform integrates seamlessly with existing YpsoMate fill-finish and assembly infrastructure, supporting ESG goals while protecting prior investments.
Delivery and Device Innovation: SmartDose by Abbott Healthcare
SmartDose is a breakthrough smart dosing system designed for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease.
Developed from deep patient and physician insights to address dosing errors, inconvenience and poor adherence, the system replaces traditional fixed-dose sachets with a precision-engineered, metered multidose dispenser, enabling accurate titration of mesalamine granules in 500 mg increments.
Each click delivers 500 mg with ±2% accuracy, allowing personalised dosing and simplified instructions.
The SmartDose also uses a recyclable glass bottle that replaces ~30 sachets, reducing packaging waste by more than 60%.
It is the first-of-its-kind patented dosing system for mesalamine granules and has a modular platform adaptable for other granule or powder-based therapies.
Validated outcomes include >95% dose accuracy and ~40% reduction in medication prep time.
SmartDose sets a new benchmark in pharmaceutical packaging — merging precision, sustainability and patient empowerment to transform oral granule-based therapy worldwide.
Packaging Innovation: MEADOW KAPSUL by Meadow
With new EU and North American regulations, brands are rethinking packaging sustainability by adopting refill and returnable systems.
Yet, there is a gap between consumer intention and action.
The added inconvenience of both at-home and in-store refilling solutions presents additional barriers to the widespread adoption of sustainable practices by consumers.
The MEADOW KAPSUL packaging system offers a simple, ready-to-use solution: users just insert a pre-filled can into the dispenser for quick, spill-free replacement, avoiding contamination and hassle.
These cans use existing metal recycling infrastructure, with aluminium achieving a global average of 75% recycling rate and returning to shelves in about 60 days.