Debottlenecking strategies to accelerate time to market
Dr Vivek Kumar , biopharma market development manager for Spectrum Chemical , explores new strategies for development and speed to market , applying key learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic
Research and " Markets ' ‘ 2021 Pharmaceuticals Research Review ’ report states that the global market for generic drugs should grow from $ 411.6 billion in 2020 to $ 650.3 billion by 2025 , and identifies immunology , oncology and neurology as the fastest-growing therapy areas expected to be the main sources of growth through 2026 . The report points out the biologics market is growing at a significant rate and is projected to continue outstripping that of small molecules in the coming decade . 1 The biopharmaceuticals market was valued around $ 401.32 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $ 534.19 billion in 2027 . 2 The unprecedented speed of COVID-19 vaccine development has immense significance for the accelerated development of new vaccines and other therapeutics , including orphan drugs . If the pandemic lessons learned by the industry are applied and incorporated into new strategies , processes and operations , it promises to transform the development of novel pharmaceuticals , biopharmaceuticals and additional therapeutics , as well as new diagnostics .
From just in time to just in case
Despite the progress in containing and overcoming COVID-19 , many of the supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic remain . In the afteraction assessment of the industry ’ s global response to COVID-19 , five trends and related strategies have emerged : 1 . Ongoing planning issues , with increasingly complex supply networks
2 . Sourcing verifiable high-quality raw materials in line with stringent specifications
3 . Longer delivery lead times for essential product components
4 . Traceability and change control issues
5 . Meeting ever-increasing scrutiny and regulatory compliance requirements The pandemic has shone an intense spotlight on the weaknesses of the global supply chain and created a new necessity to build greater resiliency and agility into supply chain management . As stated in a Bain & Company brief : “ Resilient and flexible supply chains can be a powerful defensive hedge , but also a source of competitive advantage . Leaders make
Figure 1 - Supply chain risk exposure
the most of options such as capacity buffers , digital infrastructure and nimble teams to react faster and more efficiently than their peers .” 3 Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers who are proactively responding to the need for change post-pandemic are working on increasing resilience and future-oriented agility in their supply chains , recognising the importance of streamlining operations for supply chain efficiency . This includes optimising the use of raw materials from their suppliers as early as possible . Improving efficiency requires a robust business process to identify vulnerabilities in production and the supply chain , taking into consideration both normal operations and disruption scenarios . For example , having a more resilient supply chain means moving beyond ‘ just in time ’ manufacturing to a ‘ just in case ’ inventory of critical
34 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981