We’re also seeing that drug products are becoming increasingly tailored to the unique needs of local markets as well as individual patients, prompting customers to delay SKU (stock keeping unit) customisation until immediately before delivery. To deliver this efficiency and flexibility, some CDMOs are now building their own flexible equipment in order to minimise lead times for their customers.
More agility is also required to deliver optimum productivity and cost-efficiency, with CDMOs now investing further in their packaging capabilities to deliver this to customers. They are also increasingly providing expert guidance to support pharmaceutical companies in finding innovative ways to streamline packaging needs.
CDMOs are also seeing more customer queries about enhanced and effective aggregation processes as the industry moves towards full track and trace. Those that were early investors in aggregation technology are now well placed to support the industry in ensuring compliance with traceability legislation.
Brexit has also added complexities to the way pharma companies package their products due to border frictions. But the CDMOs with a global footprint are better able to mitigate these issues by providing flexible capacity and regulatory expertise across both sides of the border to package drug products quickly and efficiently for local markets.
The various trends currently taking over the pharmaceutical industry mean that more companies are turning to CDMOs for their expertise and dedicated infrastructure to overcome the complexities they bring.
In a recent article with Contract Pharma, Lukas Spanier, Director of Packaging Operations at Recipharm, discusses trends in the pharmaceutical packaging industry and the ways that CDMOs are best positioned to navigate their challenges.