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The preparation of cytotoxic drugs is one of the most delicate and complex challenges in a hospital setting. These are highly active compounds designed to destroy cancer cells, but they pose significant risks to the healthcare workers who handle them on a daily basis. In this context, technological innovation plays a crucial role: Solipharma’s Janez Twin robotic chemotherapy system was developed specifically to address this need, offering a new standard of safety, precision, and reliability.
Cytotoxic drugs, also known as antineoplastic or antineoplastic agents, are chemicals used in cancer treatment to inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. They work by interfering with cell division mechanisms, preferentially targeting rapidly dividing cells.
However, their effects are not selective: they can also damage healthy cells, which is why handling these compounds exposes healthcare workers—pharmacists, nurses, and technicians—to real risks. Prolonged exposure, even at low doses, can cause adverse effects on the skin, respiratory system, and reproductive system and, in the most severe cases, increase the risk of cancer among these workers.
For this reason, the preparation of cytotoxic drugs is subject to strict regulations that require the use of personal protective equipment, controlled environments, and, increasingly, automated systems capable of minimizing direct contact between the operator and the drug.
The main routes of exposure for healthcare workers are skin contact, inhalation of aerosols and vapors, and accidental ingestion. Even with the use of laminar flow hoods and protective equipment, the risk of contamination is never completely eliminated during manual preparations.
Scientific studies have documented the presence of traces of cytotoxic drugs on work surfaces, gloves, floors, and even in the urine of exposed healthcare workers. This situation highlights the need for a paradigm shift: moving away from passive protection of healthcare workers toward a system that eliminates the possibility of direct exposure at its source.
Contamination from cytotoxic drugs is not limited to the time of preparation. Chemical residues can remain on surfaces for hours or days, exposing even staff not directly involved in handling the drugs. This phenomenon, known as environmental cross-contamination, represents an underestimated but well-documented risk in the scientific literature. Minimizing this risk is only possible through closed, automated systems that completely contain the drug during every stage of the process.
Janez Twin is the robotic chemotherapy system developed by Solipharma for the automated preparation of cytotoxic drugs. Designed for hospital pharmacies and oncology units, Janez Twin eliminates direct contact between the operator and hazardous compounds, operating via commercial closed systems in an ISO 5 environment with HEPA filtration.
The system manages the entire preparation process autonomously: from reconstituting the lyophilized drug to precise volumetric dosing, through to labeling and packaging the final bag. Each step is performed under conditions of absolute sterility, minimizing direct exposure to cytotoxic drugs during all critical stages.
Janez Twin integrates robotic technology with advanced prescription management software. The pharmacist uploads the treatment protocol, and the system automatically prepares the medication, verifying dosages, compatibility, and the integrity of the final product in real time. Traceability is comprehensive: each preparation is recorded with details regarding the batch, expiration date, operator, and recipient patient.
This automation does not replace the pharmacist, but frees them from high-risk tasks, allowing them to focus on clinical validation and process supervision. The result is a safer work environment, more accurate dispensing, and a significant reduction in dosing errors.
The adoption of a robotic chemotherapy system such as Janez Twin offers tangible benefits on multiple levels. First, operator safety: by eliminating direct handling, the risk of occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs is virtually eliminated. Second, patient safety: automated dosing drastically reduces the variability and margin of error typical of manual preparation.
In addition, the system ensures regulatory compliance with the latest European guidelines on the preparation of hazardous medications and contributes to more efficient resource management by optimizing preparation times and reducing medication waste.
Investing in a robotic chemotherapy system is not just a technological choice, but a strategic decision for public health. Protecting those who work with hazardous substances every day means reducing absenteeism, occupational illnesses, and long-term healthcare costs. For patients, it means receiving treatments prepared with the utmost precision under optimal sterile conditions.
The direction is clear: the manual preparation of cytotoxic drugs is set to be gradually replaced by automated solutions. Healthcare facilities that adopt a robotic chemotherapy system like Janez Twin today are positioning themselves at the forefront, ensuring superior standards of safety and quality. Solipharma, with its expertise in pharmaceutical robotics, continues to develop solutions that put technology at the service of healthcare, because preparing a life-saving drug should never put the person preparing it at risk.