In 2013, the pharmaceutical industry will continue to witness major changes and challenges. Considering global economic uncertainties, increasing healthcare costs and expiring patents, the industry appears to be in a state of turmoil. At the same time, markets are diversifying and new fields of growth are opening up. Rapid development of the emerging markets, progress in drug research, the rise in generics production, the availability of high-potency drugs and innovations in manufacturing processes will sustainably modify the global pharmaceutical landscape.
According to a recent survey, global annual spending on pharmaceuticals is set to reach almost $1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2016. The so-called “pharmerging” markets account for more than two-thirds of the world population. Doubling their spending on pharmaceuticals over the next five years, these markets will reach 30% of global expenses by 2016, as population growth and rising incomes contribute to the dramatically higher use of medicines. Improved access to drugs is supported by a broad range of governmental healthcare policies and programs. Due to increasing cost pressure and increased local demand, production is being relocated to the emerging markets. In many cases, this also applies to the production of generics. While the share of the industrialized nations in global pharmaceutical expenditure will continue to decline, spending on generics will increase due to expiring patents accompanied by higher generic use for off-patent molecules.
Biologics will also contribute to higher spending, as research brings clinical advances for the treatment of patients all over the world. Cutting-edge developments in personalized medicine have led to sophisticated solutions tailored to stratified groups. We observe a global trend towards combining pharmaceuticals with medical technology applications. The development of new drug delivery devices increasingly focuses on patients’ individual needs. Some of the devices such as inhalers are necessary applications to transport the active substance to where it is needed. Tools such as insulin pens have been optimized, in particular with respect to convenience and ease of use, while the equipment generally tends to be smaller and much safer to handle. In this sense, medical technology applications improve the quality of patients’ lives. At the same time, drug delivery devices are used as a targeted measure for product differentiation. The availability of high-potency treatments has also exploded in the past decade. High-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs), for example, is a fast growing segment, and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% through 2018 .
To keep pace with these advances, engineering expertise is required to design equipment that can handle, package and secure such substances. Pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and anti-virals must be manufactured and packaged with the utmost caution and attention to detail. It is with these requirements in mind that we see five particular trends emerging in the field of pharmaceutical processing and packaging equipment, namely: a rising demand for pharmaceutical quality and safety through inspection technology; the ability to handle potent substances; adapting lines for small batch sizes and research purposes; an increasing use of single-use components; and the need to improve productivity by optimizing manufacturing processes with respect to Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
Published in the February issue of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine
References
1. IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics (2012): “The Global Use of Medicines: Outlook Through 2016.”
2. Http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/SmallBusinessAssistance/ucm127615.pdf
3. http://www.fiercepharma.com/press-releases/global-high-potency-active-pharmaceutical-ingredients-hpapis-market-expecte
• http://www.pharmaceuticalonline.com/doc.mvc/bosch-presents-enhanced-inspection-technology-portfolio-0001
• http://www.boschpackaging.com/Boschpharma-us/eng/3414.asp
• http://www.contractpharma.com/issues/2011-06/view_features/single-use-disposable-systems-for-aseptic-fill-fin/
• http://www.boschpackaging.com/boschpackagingservices/eng/OEE_Consulting_69722.asp