AptarGroup, Inc., also known as Aptar, is a United States–based global manufacturer of consumer dispensing packaging and

drug delivery Drug delivery involves various methods and technologies designed to transport pharmaceutical compounds to their target sites helping therapeutic effect. It involves principles related to drug preparation, route of administration, site-specif ...

devices. The group has manufacturing operations in 18 countries.

History

The company began as Werner Die & Stamping in Cary, Illinois, in 1946 and later incorporated as AptarGroup in 1992. Aptar originally developed spray valves and pumps for consumer and household products. The company later began producing

nasal administration Nasal administration, popularly known as snorting, is a route of administration in which drugs are insufflated through the nose. It can be a form of either topical administration or systemic administration, as the drugs thus locally delivered ...

and pulmonary drug delivery devices such as

nasal spray Nasal sprays are used to deliver medications Route of administration#Local, locally in the nasal cavities or systemic administration, systemically. They are used locally for conditions such as nasal congestion and allergic rhinitis. In some sit ...

systems and

metered-dose inhaler A metered-dose inhaler (MDI) is a device that delivers a specific amount of medication to the lungs in the form of a short burst of aerosolized medicine that is usually self-administered by the patient via inhalation. It is the most commonly used ...

valves. Biotech and pharmaceutical companies use Aptar's different Unidose and Bidose devices for the single or two-shot intranasal delivery of different medicines. In 2016, Aptar announced that it provided the delivery system for Adapt Pharma's

Narcan Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan among others, is an opioid antagonist, a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids. For example, it is used to restore breathing after an opioid overdose. Effects begin within two ...

. Narcan is a naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray used as an emergency treatment for opioid overdoses. Aptar's liquid spray drug delivery technology platform works as a ready-to-use, single-shot, unit-dose system for Narcan. It was the first

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

approved nasally administered, ready-to-use medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Narcan does not require any assembly, medical training, or needle injection. In 2016, Aptar entered into an agreement with Becton Dickinson & Company to develop new self-injection devices. Aptar entered into an agreement in 2016 with Propeller Health Partners to develop a digitally connected medication

inhaler An inhaler (puffer, asthma pump or allergy spray) is a medical device used for delivering medicines into the lungs through the work of a person's breathing. This allows medicines to be delivered to and absorbed in the lungs, which provides the ...

. The company made an investment in Propeller Health Partners (now part of

Resmed Resmed Inc. is an Australian medical equipment company based in San Diego, California. It primarily provides cloud-connectable medical devices for the treatment of sleep apnea (such as CPAP devices and masks), chronic obstructive pulmonary disea ...

) in 2018. In July 2019, the FDA-approved Aptar Pharma's Unidose Powder System as the first intranasally-delivered, needle-free rescue treatment for severe

hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia (American English), also spelled hypoglycaemia or hypoglycæmia (British English), sometimes called low blood sugar, is a fall in blood sugar to levels below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Whipple's tria ...

. In 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Aptar invested in new tools to accelerate its molding equipment and assembly machines for pumps, but it still wasn't enough to keep up with demand.

Acquisitions

In 2012, Aptar acquired Stelmi, a manufacturer of

elastomer An elastomer is a polymer with viscoelasticity (i.e. both viscosity and elasticity) and with weak intermolecular forces, generally low Young's modulus (E) and high failure strain compared with other materials. The term, a portmanteau of ''ela ...

primary packaging components. In 2016, Aptar acquired Mega Airless, a manufacturer of airless packaging. In 2018, Aptar acquired CSP Technologies, a material science company that manufactures

active packaging The terms active packaging, intelligent packaging, and smart packaging refer to amplified packaging systems used with foods, pharmaceuticals, and several other types of products. They help extend shelf life, monitor freshness, display information ...

. In June 2019, Aptar acquired two companies, Nanopharm and Gateway Analytical. In November 2019, the company acquired Noble International, which specializes in training devices and patient onboarding. In February 2020, Aptar acquired FusionPKG, a makeup packaging company. In November 2020, the company acquired the digital respiratory health company Cohero Health. In July 2021 Aptar acquired the digital therapeutics company, Voluntis (ENXTPA: ALVTX), and 80% of the equity interests of Weihai Hengyu Medical Products Co., Ltd., a Chinese manufacturer of elastomeric and plastic components used in injectable drug delivery.

Sustainability

Aptar was named to

Barron's ''Barron's'' (stylized in all caps) is an American weekly magazine and newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corp, since 1921. Founded as ''Barron's National Financial Weekly'' in 1921 by Clarence W. Barron (1855–19 ...

list of the Top 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. At the end of 2020, 85% of the company’s global electricity use came from renewable sources. It was also named by

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

as one of America's Most Responsible Companies in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and received an A score for climate change from the Climate Disclosure Project. In September 2019, the company announced a partnership with Loop, a shopping platform from

TerraCycle TerraCycle is a private U.S.-based recycling business headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey. It primarily runs a volunteer-based recycling platform to collect non-recyclable pre-consumer and post-consumer waste on behalf of corporate donors, mu ...

that delivers products in reusable containers. The company made the

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

Green Growth 50 List in 2021.

References

{{S&P 400 companies 1992 establishments in Illinois Drug delivery devices Packaging companies Manufacturing Pumps Sustainable communities Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Packaging companies of the United States Manufacturing companies established in 1992 Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Companies in the S&P 400