Celebrating World Health Day: Solstice Advanced Materials Stands with Science

This year, on April 7, 2026, the global community celebrates the scientific progress that is improving lives around the world with the theme, "Together for health. Stand with science."

Behind every lifesaving treatment is a material that makes it possible. At Solstice Advanced Materials, we know how materials science plays a quiet but pivotal role in modern healthcare. The science of specialty materials underpins the safety, durability and performance of the solutions that patients and clinicians rely on every day.

None of these innovations happen in isolation. Behind every breakthrough is a network of scientists, engineers, pharmaceutical partners, medical device manufacturers and healthcare providers working together to push the boundaries of what's possible. Their collaboration is what makes healthcare safer, more effective, and more accessible for those who need it the most.

For this World Health Day, we are showcasing the many ways our materials science works together to push the boundaries of what's possible for pharmaceutical and healthcare providers.

Examples of Specialty Materials in Healthcare

01Protecting medication efficacy through barrier films

Patients depend on medicines that must remain chemically stable from the moment of manufacture to the moment of use. Exposure to heat, moisture, oxygen and light can degrade active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and reduce effectiveness or even compromise safety.

High performance barrier films, such as Aclar® barrier films, address this challenge. Aclar® barrier films offer ultra-high moisture barrier protection that helps safeguard sensitive formulations from the elements that accelerate degradation, preserving their integrity and ensuring that they arrive at their destination ready for use.

02Medical propellant use in respiratory care

Respiratory disease is one of the most pressing global health challenges. Millions rely on fast, dependable treatment to manage symptoms and prevent dangerous flareups. In the United States alone, 8.6% of adults live with asthma¹, making immediate, effective drug delivery essential for maintaining day-to-day quality of life.

For many of these patients, pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) are their primary lifeline. Performance depends not only on the medication itself but also on the medical propellant used to deliver the medicine. Pharmaceutical companies are adopting future-ready, sustainable propellants, like Solstice medical propellant to help provide relief.

03Lightweight fibers strengthening life-critical devices and applications

In modern surgery, precision can determine whether a patient regains full mobility or faces years of complications. Surgeons rely on sutures and device components that must hold under enormous stress while remaining safe inside the body.

High strength, biocompatible fibers, like Spectra® MG BIO, make this possible for life-altering surgeries like anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR). Their durability allows surgeons to perform less invasive procedures, while colored variants help them distinguish suture sets inside the operating field — small details that can make a big difference in patient recovery.

04Maintaining cold chain integrity for vaccines and medicines

Temperature-sensitive medicines and vaccines are vulnerable points in global healthcare supply chains. A break in the cold chain during transportation, holding in storage or that last-mile delivery can compromise product integrity or spoil treatments before reaching patients in need.

Global demand for refrigerated pharmaceutical logistics is driving pressure on cold storage operators to maintain precise, reliable temperature control. Refrigerants, such as Solstice® refrigerants, and polyurethane foam insulation ingredients, like Solstice® blowing agents, help cold storage operators meet this challenge by ensuring that temperature-sensitive treatments arrive at their destination intact and ready to support patient requirements.

05Sustaining vaccine and medicine purity

In labs around the world, scientists work with incredible precision to create vaccines and medications that people trust. In peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis, even the slightest variation between batches can derail that momentum — forcing teams to pause, retest and troubleshoot.

Burdick & Jackson BioSyn™ was engineered to eliminate these variables. As a trusted choice for biosynthesis, Solstice Advanced Materials high-purity solvents and reagents deliver the exact specifications required for accurate DNA and RNA synthesis, including deblocks, activators, capping reagents and oxidizers in various formulations, as well as acetonitrile with extremely low water content.

06Delivering topical pain relief

Topical anesthetic sprays provide patients with immediate skin numbing before a healthcare professional provides a point of care procedure such as an injection or intravenous therapy. Solutions like Solstice® Propellant deliver the cold performance necessary to support this need.

Beyond clinical use, there is also significant over-the-counter demand for products that provide instant cooling sensation followed by long-lasting pain relief for muscle soreness, back pain and arthritis. To address this need, Solstice® Propellant can be paired with an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to deliver immediate, optimal cooling prior to the API's longer-acting therapeutic effects.

World Health Day is a reminder that medical progress is more than just breakthrough therapies and landmark clinical trials — it's also about the foundational material science that makes these things possible. This day brings light to the innovative materials used in our everyday lives and serves as a reminder that it takes a network of professionals to bring effective healthcare solutions to market. To learn more about how Solstice Advanced Materials can support your healthcare and business goals, visit us today.