When Packaging Becomes a Protection Strategy
Pharmaceutical packaging is often viewed as a way to identify and contain a product.
VPP II is different.
Developed by IL Group, VPP II combines a protective plastic cup, shrink tack label, and dedicated packaging equipment to create a complete packaging solution that helps pharmaceutical manufacturers enhance protection and differentiate their products in the market.
What manufacturers ask before adopting VPP II.
1. What is VPP II ?
Vial Protect Pack II is a heat-shrink label specially designed for pharmaceutical vials. It fully wraps the vial, unlike conventional labels that cover only part of the surface, providing both mechanical protection and containment to reduce risks such as contamination from hazardous drugs (HDs), including anticancer drugs, and breakage during handling.
2. How is VPP II different from conventional vial packaging?
Unlike conventional sleeve-type packaging, VPP II integrates shrink tack label technology, a PET film with adhesive construction bonded directly to the vial.
The result is protection for the vial itself. Impact testing confirms significantly greater drop durability than unprotected vials.
3. Does VPP II help improve handling safety?
Yes. VPP was developed to support the safe handling of hazardous injectable pharmaceutical drugs, from labeling and transportation to administration and disposal. Its combination of a shrink tack label and protective structure reduces the risk of vial damage and improves handling confidence. This protective effect has been demonstrated through scientific testing and evaluation.
This is particularly important for high value and high-risk pharmaceutical products where product integrity and safety are major concerns.
4. What types of pharmaceutical products is VPP II designed for?
VPP II can be used for a wide range of vial based pharmaceutical products, including:
- Oncology drugs
- High potency compounds
- Toxic agents
- Specialty injectables
- High value pharmaceuticals
Although anticancer drugs are a common application, VPP II can be beneficial for any pharmaceutical product where additional protection is desired.
5. What materials are used in the VPP II protector?
The VPP II protector is available in polypropylene (PP), highly transparent ABS resin, and biomass-based material options.
These materials were selected because they provide an excellent balance of strength, visibility, durability, and cost effectiveness. The transparent design maintains product visibility while helping protect the vial from external impact.
For pharmaceutical companies pursuing sustainability goals, biomass based materials provide an environmentally conscious alternative without compromising product protection.
6. Is VPP II already in commercial use?
Yes. VPP-related equipment and solutions are already established across a substantial portion of Japan’s pharmaceutical manufacturing market.
This widespread adoption demonstrates the technology’s reliability and provides confidence in its performance under real-world production conditions.
7. Can VPP II be used with equipment from other suppliers?
VPP II was developed as an integrated packaging solution for use with IL Group equipment.
While alternative approaches have not been formally tested, the recommended method is to use the designated equipment to ensure packaging quality and performance. The combination of VPP II packaging technology and dedicated IL Group equipment enables a unique packaging solution that is not achievable with conventional labeling systems. For pharmaceutical manufacturers, this provides an opportunity to enhance product protection while differentiating their products through packaging.
8. Does the heat shrinking process affect the pharmaceutical product?
This is a common question when evaluating shrink tack label based packaging solutions.
VPP II has been scientifically evaluated to assess the thermal impact of the labeling process. Testing showed that the temperature increase inside the vial remained minimal during packaging, supporting confidence in the process for pharmaceutical applications.
In addition to protection against vial damage, VPP II is designed to provide a packaging solution that balances performance, safety, and product quality.
9. Why Do Pharmaceutical Companies Choose VPP II？
Many packaging solutions focus primarily on identification and presentation.
VPP II was developed to go beyond labeling by addressing vial protection, handling safety, and packaging reliability. To support these benefits, IL Group has conducted scientific evaluations on drop impact resistance, occupational exposure related risks, and thermal effects during the packaging process.
Explore the data behind VPP II and discover how leading pharmaceutical manufacturers are using packaging as a tool for both protection and differentiation.
Request a Sample
Request a VPP II sample and evaluate the packaging firsthand to understand its protective structure, handling advantages, and suitability for your product.
Contact Us
Want to discuss your specific packaging requirements?
Our team can help you evaluate whether VPP is suitable for your product, manufacturing process, and packaging strategy.
References
Scientific Evidence Supporting VPP
The performance of VPP has been evaluated through both peer reviewed research and technical performance testing.
Peer Reviewed Publication
External Surface Contamination Control
Sessink P, Sano M.
Contamination on the external surface of hazardous drug vials wrapped in Vial Protect Pack shrink tack labels.
J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2026. doi:10.1177/10781552261433917
Read the publication
Technical Performance Evaluations
Drop Impact Durability
Testing demonstrated superior resistance to drop impact compared with unprotected vials.
Heat Exposure During Packaging
Testing confirmed that the VPP packaging process resulted in only minimal temperature increase inside liquid medicine vials.
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