As drugs continue to become more complex with the rise of biopharmaceuticals and novel therapies, industry is witnessing unprecedented drug delivery technology innovation. Advancements in mapping and understanding the human genome will continue to push biopharmaceutical drug treatments forward as they are proving to be much more effective for patients than traditional medicine. Igor Gorsky, a senior consultant at Concordia Valsource, in his article on sterile manufacturing trends, says that by the year 2030 biopharma drug sales will account for 45% of all global pharma sales and by the middle of the century will overtake all other pharmaceutical sales and become a therapy of choice for new generations.

Collaboration throughout all phases of the drug development process will continue to be key. However, eventhough (bio)pharma companies and their contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) partners both seek to favorably impact patients’ lives, there are issues that may stand in the way of a truly successful partnership. For sponsors, this could include efficient data exchange, managing multiple contacts, successful tech transfer, and reliable and consistent product delivery, to name just a few. At the same time, CMOs face an increased amount of quality control scrutiny both from their sponsor partners and regulatory agencies.

(Bio)pharma companies ultimately engage the services of CMOs to help get products to market faster at lower scale-up costs. It is a trend that continues to grow with CDMOs increasingly engaged in every stage of a drug’s lifespan from development, to manufacturing, to packaging and fulfillment. Whether it’s simply providing additional capacity, or serving as the sole source of drug production, CDMOs are a vital component and lifeline for (bio)pharma companies.

As technology continues to transform the landscape of drug delivery, (bio)pharma sponsors will look to their partners for solutions. In his article Sam Van Alstyne, new products marketing manager for 3M Drug Delivery Systems, says we’ve seen a major shift in how we think about delivering drugs to patients, and we’re finding ways to solve problems that, until now, seemed unsolvable. However, he notes that while we’ve made great strides and opportunities seem limitless, the influence of digital technology on drug delivery is still in its infancy and there are many challenges ahead. As the industry moves forward the need for drug delivery innovation will not slow but continue to speed up as new medical and pharmaceutical science discoveries continue to be made all the time.

Tim Wright, Editor
twright@rodmanmedia.com