DCAT Week, held March 18-21, in New York City, caters to companies engaged in the global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing value chain. The event is hosted by the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT), a not-for-profit Business Development Association, for its 500+ Member Companies. 
 
Franco Negron, CEO of Simtra BioPharma Solutions, shares key takeaways from the event and industry insight on the CDMO space and the impact of technology trends.

Contract Pharma: What are some of the key takeaways from DCAT Week?
 
Franco Negron: Hot areas are obesity and antibody-drug conjugates in oncology. Questions around what the next big breakthrough will be – maybe Alzheimer’s?
 
Global Value is highly concentrated to a few top therapy areas: 40% of global value comes from Oncology (53% biologic), Antidiabetics (64% biologic) and Immunology (90% biologics) (Source: 2024 Pharma outlook session at DCAT).
 
Key themes: 1) Can manufacturers manage to keep up with demand, 2) Will payers be convinced that the benefits of these novel medicines are worth their high costs, 3) R&D is up but ROI remains a challenge.
 
Contract Pharma: With the growth of injectables, do you anticipate more CMO expansions and/or new companies entering this market?
 
Franco Negron: I do not anticipate new companies entering the CDMO space as the cost of entry is very high (cost of capital, regulatory hurdles).
 
There will likely be more expansions of existing CMOs. However, ability to execute and to deliver will be the differentiating factor.  Anyone can construct new buildings and buy equipment.  However, not everyone has the expertise to run that equipment effectively and deliver quality product on time to customers while remaining compliant with evolving regulations.
 
Contract Pharma: What technology trends do you anticipate coming to fruition in the near term within the industry?
 
Franco Negron: As the regulatory environment changes, industries are being pushed to incorporate technologies that require less human intervention, in the clean rooms, for example, to have a better safety profile. Digital and automation advancements have also brought about better management tools in terms of analyzing data and trends. The technological tools available on the market today are superior and allow for increased efficiency and insights, and the industry must embrace and adopt these technologies going forward.