A key spot on the calendars for companies engaged in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing value chain is DCAT Week, the flagship event of the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT). This year, DCAT Week ’16 will be held March 14-17, 2016 in New York. So what are the key happenings at DCAT Week ’16 and with DCAT overall? Margaret M. Timony, executive director of DCAT, provided an inside look to Contract Pharma.   —TW

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Contract Pharma: Before discussing DCAT Week ’16, can you provide some background on DCAT as an association and how DCAT Week fits into the association’s mission?
DCAT (Timony): DCAT is a global business development association whose unique membership model integrates both innovator and generic drug manufacturers and suppliers of ingredients, development and manufacturing services, and related technologies. The core mission of DCAT is to power relationships and industry knowledge for companies engaged in the business of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

DCAT Week is a significant industry event for senior to mid-level executives involved in sourcing, procurement, and supply management and their business counterparts representing contract service providers, suppliers, and other companies. The DCAT membership is involved in the full spectrum of the pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain: from raw materials, to intermediates, to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)—small molecules and biologics—to formulation development and drug-product manufacturing, to packaging, to logistics and related supply chain services. Through DCAT Week, DCAT provides its members a forum for high-level strategic meetings with key decision makers, timely educational programs, and important networking opportunities.

Key to the success of DCAT as an association and for DCAT Week are the contributions of our volunteer leaders, committees, and task forces that are comprised of representatives from DCAT’s more than 400 member companies. They provide their time, talents, and strategic insights that are essential in developing the events, networking opportunities, information services, and education programs that are so important to the industry. As it does each year, DCAT brought together the expertise of our volunteers to develop the education programs at DCAT Week ‘16.

Contract Pharma: So what are some of the highlights of the education programs at DCAT Week ’16?
DCAT (Timony): To start with, one of the most widely anticipated education programs at DCAT Week is the Pharmaceutical Industry Outlook, which kicks off the education programs and will be held on Monday, March 14. Graham Lewis, vice president, global pharma strategy, IMS Health, will provide a data-driven market analysis of the trillion dollar-plus global pharmaceutical industry by providing insight into current and projected performance, growth rates overall and for key segments, and an outlook for developed and emerging markets. The program will also examine another macro issue: the impact of payer and reimbursement trends on drug development and commercialization strategies. Also, the program will further examine the potential of one of the most dynamic areas of product innovation: the immuno-oncology market. 

Of crucial importance to DCAT members are issues that impact how pharmaceutical companies, contract service providers, and suppliers work together in managing their internal and external development and manufacturing networks. To that end, several programs will examine pharmaceutical outsourcing in-depth by providing market data as well as insight from leading pharmaceutical companies on their strategies for outsourcing. Consistent with DCAT’s mission to cover the full pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain, the education programs will address the major segments: fine chemicals and chemical APIs, biologics, and drug products, both solid dosage and sterile drug products.

The program, Pharmaceutical Outsourcing: The Markets and Supply Strategies for Fine Chemicals, APIs, and Drug Products, will examine the markets for fine chemicals and contract small-molecule API manufacturing with expert insight from Enrico Polastro, vice president and senior industry specialist, global pharmaceutical and fine chemicals practice, Arthur D. Little. Jim Miller, president of PharmSource, will provide an in-depth analysis of the contract dosage form market, and executives from Boehringer Ingelheim and Takeda Pharmaceuticals will describe their supply strategies.

The program, Biopharmaceutical Forum: Global Biomanufacturing Trends, Capacity, and Technology Drivers, will examine the business of manufacturing for biologic-based drug substances, including industry-wide capacity utilization and expansion activity among the large pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. The program will also examine the contract biomanufacturing market, outsourcing trends, capacity utilization among contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), technology differentiation impacting supplier strategies, and outsourcing strategies from leading pharmaceutical companies. The education program, Evolving Business Models and Partnership Strategies for Drug Development Challenges, will take a deeper look into the business of formulation development and drug product manufacturing with perspectives from Bristol-Myers Squibb among others. 

The program, Transformational Sourcing: Innovation in Sourcing, Supplier Practices, and Risk Management, will provide peer insight for sourcing, procurement, and supply management executives and customer-centric insight for suppliers in how pharmaceutical companies are innovating, driving greater value, and managing supplier risk. Executives from Amgen, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Roche/Genentech, and BioMarin Pharmaceutical will share perspectives.

Regulatory issues further shape the pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain. The education program, GDUFA II and GMP API Inspection Trends: The Business Impact of Upcoming Regulatory Changes, will provide a business overview of key regulatory changes in the U.S. and European Union impacting pharmaceutical manufacturing. With the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA) facing reauthorization in 2017, the program will also examine how GDUFA has worked thus far and what changes may be ahead. The program will also provide a GMP inspection trends analysis for API manufacturing and best practices from pharmaceutical companies in supplier management and supplier oversight to address some key issues, such as data integrity and overall supply-chain security. 

Contract Pharma: What else is new at DCAT Week’ 16?
DCAT (Timony): First, we expanded the DCAT Business Builder sessions by adding another session this year to provide DCAT members now with two programs that provide practical ways and tools to enhance their professional skills. Vantage Partners, a global management consulting firm specializing in helping companies transform the way they negotiate with, and manage relationships with, key business partners will provide two sessions:  Getting to “Yes” in Extreme Negotiations and Relationship Management: Balancing Collaboration, Trust, and Cost Pressures.

We also added a new event to DCAT Week, the Member Company Announcement Forum, in which registered DCAT member companies may announce major company news, including company strategy developments, acquisition activity, or expansions. This event will be held Monday March 14 in the morning and is open to DCAT member companies and the accredited press.

Contract Pharma: What else is new at DCAT in general?
DCAT (Timony): The industry has come to know DCAT through DCAT Week, but DCAT works year-round to provide its members with other key events and informational resources. These include Sharp Sourcing, held annually in July, which features solution-based best practices in sourcing, procurement, and supply management, as well as specialized educational forums for buyers and suppliers and networking opportunities.

We also provide a range of informational services, including DCAT Value Chain Insights (VCI), a weekly information resource focused on pharmaceutical manufacturing, sourcing/procurement, and supply management. Top Industry News, designed for busy executives, is DCAT’s new weekly newsletter to highlight the top ten news stories each week. We also engage our membership with webinars, bringing an interactive way to learn from leading industry experts.

We also added in 2015 and will roll out in 2016, DCAT Benchmarking, a new member service that provides in-depth studies for learning of best practices and key metrics for companies engaged in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. The DCAT Research & Benchmarking Task Force is charged with identifying topics of interest to DCAT members. The results of our first study, Value Creation in Pharmaceutical Procurement, will be available in the first quarter of 2016.

And in 2015, we launched a new DCAT website and portal for DCAT Connect, DCAT’s online member community, in a more user-friendly format, making it easier for our members to stay informed of DCAT events, access informational resources, and to connect with fellow DCAT member companies.

For more information about DCAT and DCAT Week, including how to register, visit www.dcat.org