Clip'n'Ject(TM) System to Offer Safe, Easy and Precise Delivery of Interferons, Oncology Therapies, Vaccines, Growth Hormones, Plasma Derivatives and Other Freeze-Dried Drugs

DENVER, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST - news) introduced Clip'n'Ject(TM), a proprietary and novel system for improving the point-of-care reconstitution and delivery of lyophilized or dry-powder drugs, at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting today. Clip'n'Ject can enhance the reconstitution and delivery of currently available lyophilized drugs and the increasing number of new injectable products developed from complex biotechnological processes and genetic engineering. Many of these drugs are expensive and are increasingly administered at home by family caregivers or the patients themselves. The Clip'n'Ject system may be less cumbersome, require fewer steps and reduce the need for drug over-fills, when compared to conventional reconstitution methods.

``The Clip'n'Ject system reduces the complexity of reconstituting lyophilized drugs because it is packaged as a complete set that requires fewer steps,'' said Bill O'Dell, vice president global marketing at West Pharmaceutical Services. ``The system adds safety through its self-contained construction that prevents exposure to unintended spray-back of drug product. The precision of Clip'n'Ject eliminates the manufacturer's need to provide overfills of extremely expensive therapies, also ensuring that patients receive accurate dosing as prescribed by their physician. This convenience, safety and precision are beneficial to patient, caregiver and manufacturer alike.''

The Clip'n'Ject system consists of a plastic connector that links a prefilled diluent syringe with a standard drug vial. The diluent syringe is available in 1mL, 3mL or 5mL fill sizes. West provides the product in a single thermo-formed tray secured with a Tyvek® lid. The sealed Clip'n'Ject is terminally sterilized by ethylene oxide. Functional testing and scaled up manufacturing, assembly and packaging will take place in West's ISO-certified site in Montgomery, Pennsylvania.

The Clip'n'Ject system, licensed from a Swiss medical device company, can be used for existing and new injectable drug products.

``Clip'n'Ject further broadens West's position as a world leader in cutting-edge pharmaceutical technology for the parenteral administration of drugs,'' said Dr. Donald E. Morel, president and chief operating officer at West Pharmaceutical Services. ``This key extension to our core business responds to an acute and growing market need, and we expect Clip'n'Ject to play an important role in helping to ensure the safe and effective delivery of important drugs in a wide range of therapeutic categories.''

About West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST - news) supports global pharmaceutical and healthcare markets with products and services that enhance the effective administration of pharmaceutical and healthcare products. West Pharmaceutical Services' technologies include drug formulation research and development, clinical research and laboratory services and the design, development and manufacture of components and systems for dispensing and delivering pharmaceutical, healthcare and consumer products. For more information, visit West Pharmaceutical Services at www.clipnject.com and www.westpharma.com.

Statements concerning forecasted financial results, which are contained in the above material, constitute forward looking statements as the term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those expressed in any forward looking statements and are dependent on a number of factors including but not limited to, sales demand, timing of customers' projects, competitive pressures, the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar, inflation, the cost of raw materials and successful continuance of cost-improvement programs.

Clip'n'Ject (TM) is a trademark of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Tyvek® is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.