What's happening?

The pharmaceutical supply chain has of course been impacted by COVID-19, with common issues including raw material delays and challenges with the shipment of goods. Increased border controls have further exacerbated this issue.

Andressa Barban do Patrocinio, Fernanda Janku Cabral, André Luiz Brandão Bitencourt, Olinda Mara Brigato, Lizandra Guidi Magalhães, Lucas Antônio de Lima Paula, Larissa Franco, Renata Guerra-Sá and Vanderlei Rodrigues
  Published online April 7, 2020  

Triggered by concerns surrounding global warming due to the consumption of greenhouse gases, the United Nations (UN) countries have committed to phase down global hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) consumption by 80-85% by 2047.

Over the years, there has been a shift in focus for drug formulators. The FDA expects the needs of the patient to be considered when developing new drug products, meaning today, the focus on the overall patient experience is a priortity.

Over the years, there have been a number of developments in drug dosage formulation and the impact of these on the pharmaceutical industry have changed the way companies are approaching dosage form selection. 

Demand for outsourcing pharmaceutical formulation development is on the rise. While this is being driven by innovative biologic and cell and gene therapy products, small molecules will continue to represent the majority of prescribed drugs and are a major driver for CDMO market success.

By ensuring that the extensive needs of analytical testing are met to the fullest, CDMOs can help their customers to optimise lifecycle management and reduce time-to-market for many important medicines.

Due to the changes in technology in the inhalation space, the pharmaceutical industry is going to start to see some changes.

Our very own Director of Inhalation Science and Product Development at Recipharm, Lei Mao, spoke with Manufacturing Chemist about the current innovations in the inhaled drugs market. 

As a result of the worldwide fight against COVID-19, we have been experiencing higher demand for our goods and services, particularly when it comes to the manufacture of antibiotics. With this, we have had to adapt and make changes to our supply chain processes to alleviate the strain on day-to-day operations. 

In light of the current situation, there is a global concern across the pharmaceutical industry around what the COVID-19 pandemic means for the global supply chain, the current pharma M&A activity taking place in the market and ultimately how CDMOs will be impacted in the long-term.