TOPPAN Launches Aluminum-Free, Polypropylene-Based Brittle Lidding Material for Pharmaceutical PTP Packaging

TOPPAN Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President: Haruhiko Noguchi; hereafter 'TOPPAN'), a group company of TOPPAN Holdings, will begin offering a polypropylene (PP) based brittle lidding material (hereafter 'this product') for PTP (Press Through Package) packaging used to dispense tablets and capsules by finger pressure, starting May 20, 2026. While conventional PTP lidding materials primarily use aluminum foil, this new brittle lidding material achieves excellent push-through capability (ease of extracting the medication) without using aluminum foil. Pharmaceutical manufacturers can achieve monomaterial packaging by combining this with widely used PP bottom materials.

In November 2025, TOPPAN acquired patented technology relating to brittle lidding materials for PTP packaging from Asahi Kasei Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koshiro Kudo; hereafter 'Asahi Kasei'). By combining the acquired patented technology with TOPPAN's proprietary printing and processing technologies, the company has developed an aluminum-free brittle lidding material.

Moving forward, TOPPAN will provide this product to various pharmaceutical manufacturers, contributing to the elimination of aluminum in pharmaceutical packaging, improved recyclability, and a reduction in CO2 emissions throughout the product lifecycle.

Furthermore, this product will be exhibited at the TOPPAN booth (Hall 7, Booth No. 35-40) during the '28th Interphex Japan' held at Makuhari Messe from Wednesday, May 20 to Friday, May 22, 2026.

## Background of Development

Recently, due to the tightening of global environmental regulations starting with Europe and the acceleration of corporate sustainability efforts, there is a rapidly growing need for de-aluminum and monomaterial (single-material) packaging. Similarly, in the medical and pharmaceutical industries where advanced quality control is demanded, expectations are high for alternative materials to conventional aluminum foil in PTP packaging.

However, it has been difficult to develop alternative materials to aluminum foil because the lidding material for pharmaceutical PTP packaging must balance 'brittleness'—tearing with an appropriate amount of force when pushed with a finger—and the assurance of drug safety.

Therefore, TOPPAN has developed a PP-based brittle lidding material by combining the patented technology for PTP packaging brittle lidding acquired from Asahi Kasei with its own unique printing and processing technologies.

## Features of this Product

- **Contributes to the realization of monomaterial packaging by avoiding aluminum foil**
While it is common to use aluminum foil for the lidding material of PTP packaging, TOPPAN developed a PP-based brittle lidding material that does not use aluminum foil by combining Asahi Kasei's patented technology and TOPPAN's printing/processing technologies. By combining this with widely available PP bottom materials, pharmaceutical manufacturers can achieve a completely monomaterial package. This contributes to reducing environmental impact and improving the recyclability of pharmaceutical packaging.

- **Balances alternative push-through capability to aluminum with assured drug safety**
Generally, plastic films are harder to tear compared to aluminum foil, making it difficult to push out medication. Leveraging the patented technology from Asahi Kasei, this product realizes excellent push-through capability that can substitute aluminum foil, despite being plastic.
It also demonstrates stable sealing performance, ensuring the quality and safety of the medication.

- **End-to-end support in the PTP packaging field by combining with TOPPAN's solutions**
By combining with TOPPAN's wide range of solutions, end-to-end support is possible in various areas related to PTP packaging.
For example, applying water-based flexo printing, which uses almost no solvents, to this product reduces CO2 and VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions compared to oil-based gravure printing, while achieving highly precise, fine printing.
Additionally, in addition to pillow packaging films for secondary packaging utilizing the PP grade of the transparent vapor-deposited barrier film 'GL BARRIER', banding films that bundle multiple PTP packaging sheets can also be provided in PP specifications, contributing to the monomaterialization of all packages related to PTP packaging.
Furthermore, providing highly quick-drying tablet inks that can print on sugar-coated tablets and full-color variation tablet inks improves tablet identification and prevents accidental ingestion.

## Future Goals

TOPPAN will deploy this product to pharmaceutical manufacturers domestically and internationally, aiming for 1 billion JPY in sales by FY2028 across the entire PTP packaging-related business, including tablet inks.