Predictions for Pharma’s Future
We asked experts about their views of the future of pharma. Process digitization, data, and sustainability are key themes.
| 4 min read | Future
What we asked: “Looking ahead to the next 5–10 years, what will be the key disruptors and/or what can be improved upon in the pharma industry?”
Response from: Akhil Ravi, CEO of Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services
“The pharmaceutical and biotech industry has seen significant disruptions over the past decade, and this continues to rise. The next ten years will likely lead to more rapid innovation, improved patient outcomes, and a more efficient and sustainable ecosystem. Here are some top transformations I’ve noted in companies:
“Investing in climate and sustainability strategies. Over the last few years, companies have set net-zero or carbon-neutrality targets, and many have committed to reducing short-term greenhouse gas emissions. These initiatives can help achieve long-term sustainability goals, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations and addressing the risk of climate change on companies’ operations.
“Process digitization. Most pharma companies are digitizing their processes to become more agile, demanding much faster R&D timelines and integrating technologies such as AI, Internet of Things, or blockchain into their manufacturing process to enable faster time to market.
“Supply chain resilience. To reduce time to market, cost, and vendor dependency, companies have entirely changed how they look at supply chains. Earlier, procurement was mainly focused on getting the product at the lowest cost possible without compromising quality. But today, companies have realized the value of supply chain resilience compared to supply chain optimization in terms of price and timelines. As a result, many companies are using different supply chain sources to de-risk their source effectively.
“Adoption of AI and ML in drug development. In today’s context, where we are well-equipped with large datasets and high-tech computational capabilities, companies can use AI and ML to make data-driven decisions and accelerate the drug development process. With the advent of generative and predictive AI models, companies are leveraging historical datasets to improve the probability of success of a molecule.
“Regulatory reforms and accelerated approvals. Regulatory reforms like the FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy designation and the European Medicines Agency PRIME scheme are enabling faster pathways for drug approvals and quicker market entry.”
Response from: Matthew Weinberg, President, Regulatory Sciences, ProPharma:
“The speed at which we do business accelerates almost every day. Throughout my 40-year professional career, I've observed every aspect of the product development lifecycle change. Whether it's the time required to conduct studies, the speed of pharmacodynamic modeling, or even the swiftness of agency reviews for applications – nearly every process has become faster and more immediate.
“What's most interesting, however, is what hasn't changed. Regardless of how fast the chips move and how much data is analyzed by computers, humans are still essential for making sense of it all. It takes skilled individuals to determine the best strategies and assess the appropriate risk trade-offs. While we now have more data at our fingertips than ever before – which can sometimes feel overwhelming – it doesn’t have to be. We must remember that we are both artists and scientists, and knowledge fuels intuition. Today, practitioners in our industry are better educated, more capable, and more insightful than ever. Even though computers are faster and potentially more analytical, they can't always ‘see’ the data. People can and do.
“So, what has really changed? With all the tools, we do it better. We make better medicines, sooner and with improved efficacy. And our patients are the beneficiaries of this. I look forward to the next evolution in our thinking and am excited to see what the next ten years can bring.”
Response from: Hanns-Christian Mahler, CEO, ten23 health
“First of all, I want to see a focus on sustainability. The pharmaceutical sector is adversely contributing to planetary health in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, waste and impact on biodiversity. Hence, the big change required is for pharma and CDMO businesses to become carbon neutral or carbon positive in the near future. Ten years is too far out; change needs to happen now.
“Second, a great focus on patient centricity when it comes to self administration. Biologics need to be administered by injection or infusion to ensure systemic delivery and efficacy. Whilst the traditional focus of medicine has been economy of scale and the active ingredient, the patient has sometimes been forgotten. I hope that in the near- and mid-term, businesses will focus on patient usability, self-administration, and home treatment. This will increase patient comfort, adherence and compliance. It also has the potential to make a positive contribution to reduce overall healthcare costs.
“Third, with better patient pre-selection and screenings, another big trend is that it won’t be necessary for medicines to be produced in vast quantities. Commercially available medicines will be at the scale of a few thousand units per batch, or – at the extreme of personalized medicines – at a batch size of one. This requires capable, skilled and experienced manufacturers that can produce smaller amounts of products, while maximising yield. In addition, the variability of technical solutions (such as primary packaging and devices) is huge, so facilities that can implement and operate multiple primary packaging options will be key.”
Read over 100 other views on the future of the pharma industry on our special web page.
