Felix Faupel, head of contract manufacturing at Acino talks to EPM about the biggest challenges of being a contract manufacturer.
Leading the way
As a leader in advanced drug delivery technologies, specifically oral modified release and dispersible forms what are the current challenges for contract manufacturers?
I strongly believe that it is a question in which field you are working in. Things are going great for companies that produce or process biologics. The more complex it gets, the more power technology driven contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs) have in negotiations, which directly translates into revenue and profitability. In this field I sometimes have the feeling that it is maybe more challenging for a pharmaceutical company to find a reliable partner.
For oral solid dosage forms it is a completely different picture. We see worldwide overcapacities and very strong international competition, even though European manufacturers can still profit from high market entry barriers, good quality systems and more reliable supply chains. Especially for products with higher margins in the market, e.g. specialty pharmaceuticals, European manufacturers are still the best choice for pharmaceutical companies. But these products are often smaller in volumes and difficult to handle. As a manufacturer, this needs to be addressed with a flexible contract manufacturing offer.