Jeff Smythe, commercial development manager at Datwyler explains the importance of ensuring a robust parenteral packaging supply chain in unprecedented times.
Covid masks
The year 2020 has truly been an unprecedented time for most of us, but in the healthcare world, preparing for a pandemic is par for the course. Epidemiologists have worked for years to study coronaviruses, which is now helping companies lead the way in developing potential treatments, cures, and vaccines. For drug developers, being ready to develop and mass produce drugs for a pandemic situation is an essential part of their risk management strategy. But what about the packaging suppliers that create containers, stoppers, plungers, and seals to protect and deliver these vital drugs? How do you manufacture enough drug product and its packaging to vaccinate the entire world?
Capacity Limitations
Even when operating 24/7, drug developers and their suppliers can only manufacture a finite amount of product based on manufacturing capacity. Manufacturing volumes are determined based on years of historic volumes, sales forecasting and industry projections. These projections then define the amount of staff, equipment, and building space needed to meet demand. In the case of our current pandemic, the cost, time, and square footage needed to produce vaccines for the entire globe are more than any one supplier can handle. The solution to this problem is to qualify multiple suppliers to meet global demand. With the top packaging suppliers working transparently with the leading pharmaceutical companies to develop and produce the final product, we can proactively mitigate potential capacity limitations.