The modern history of small molecule pharmaceuticals started in 1899, when Bayer was awarded the patent for Aspirin®. Since then, an industrial revolution has improved the quality of life for many people by providing access to important treatments of a wide range of diseases.
In fact, traditional pharmaceuticals – mostly as tablets – offer a very convenient and cost-effective way of taking medicine, which we simply consider as part of our everyday life.
Today, many pharmaceutical companies are facing patent expiry of significant products and generic competition is becoming stronger and stronger. The situation is further aggravated both by generic competition and cutting of health care costs in most countries around the world. The pressure for cost-effective production goes hand in hand with a continued or even increased focus on product quality. The pharmaceutical industry is forced to reinvent itself – through new quality paradigms, more efficient production and more cost-effective supply chains.
The art of manufacturing traditional pharmaceuticals is becoming more multi-faceted, due to the increased diversity of the supply chain of most pharmaceutical companies. New suppliers of raw materials, potential sourcing from contract manufacturers, an increasingly international supply chain, more markets, diversity in batch sizes, different regulations, labelling or traceability requirements are just some examples.
The expiry of patents and the rearranged supply chains represent the end of the ’blockbuster’ era. Innovation-driven pharmaceutical companies are looking into increasingly specialised pharmaceuticals besides their branded generics.
We know that many of our customers see the challenge – and we offer our help in many areas. As a global company, we follow the trends and opportunities of regulations, best practice industry standards and technology through our global network. And more importantly, we offer services locally through our many offices, adapted to your local needs as well as your global challenges.