VarioSys entered the market ten years ago and has since revolutionised pharmaceutical production. What was needed was a highly versatile system capable of handling various delivery systems – syringes, cartridges, and vials – while accommodating different filling quantities within a single isolator. This approach contrasted sharply with the traditional method of permanently installing separate filling and closing systems within an isolator for each type of container.

This challenging task was successfully accomplished by the specialised machine manufacturer Bausch+Ströbel in collaboration with isolator manufacturer SKAN, and with the invaluable guidance and support of Dr. Friedrich Haefele, Vice President Biopharma Fill & Finish Boehringer Ingelheim.

The past ten years have proven that this development was the right choice at the time. Over 100 systems have been sold worldwide to date, and demand remains strong, as noted by Bernd Wieland, Director of Regional Sales & Business Development at Bausch+Ströbel. This is mainly thanks to the system’s continuous improvement over time. Like Dr. Friedrich Haefele, Bernd Wieland has been a driving force behind the development from the very start.

As they both remember very well, this success story was not foreseeable at the outset. Dr. Haefele recalls, “It all started for me back in 2009. At that time, I was the department head of the Bio-Pharmaceuticals Division at Boehringer Ingelheim. I had access to a small filling line for liquid and lyophilised vials, but I saw the need to upgrade our lyophiliser line to comply with current technical standards. We had a state-of-the-art system for filling pre-filled syringes, but it couldn’t be adapted for processing vials. Even then, I was looking to add significantly more flexibility to our production process.”