Richard Porter, pharmaceutical director at AspenTech looks at how automated technologies are helping pharma companies transform their manufacturing processes.
Automation
For pharmaceutical manufacturers, one of many issues that Covid-19 has highlighted is the need to be ready to quickly meet demand spikes. The requirement for vaccines to be brought to market and production scaled up at a much higher velocity is shaking up traditional R&D, clinical trials, and the supply chain, with their well established and often protracted processes. In recent months the profile of drugs in demand has changed significantly. Some drugs have seen spikes as a result of induced or panic buying, others have seen troughs, along with shortages due to supply chain disruption. While legislative compliance and process control remain critically important, the rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines has set a positive precedent and the ongoing expectation that drugs will continue to come to market faster than in the past. The pandemic has disturbed the equilibrium and Pharma 4.0 is well underway.
Finding a solution