The pharmaceutical and packaging industries in many ways have a symbiotic relationship, each spurring and inspiring innovation and advances of the other, in addition to being heavily influenced by related external factors.

Currently, market growth across the pharmaceutical packaging sector is being notably shaped and driven by several major trends, including: opportunities across next-generation products, transforming how chronic disease and cancer are treated, new biologics, less expensive biosimilar drugs, generics and favorable government regulations.

There is also a surge of interest in flexible fillers and packaging components for biologics. This technology lends itself well to small batch biologic production in multiple format presentations. If a pharma company can switch nimbly to a flexible filler, they can maximize production floorspace, have higher utilization rates on capital equipment and produce high quality, small batches.

Patient needs also remain a centrally important driver, inspiring and influencing what we and our customers produce. In many ways, the patient voice is now louder than ever before – as is their influence on shaping the market for packaging, devices and therapies alike. This includes a need for self-administered devices that are more user-friendly and convenient, while upholding the highest standards of safety, efficacy and quality.

How Packaging Requirements for Pharmaceuticals Are Changing
Commitment to the safest and most efficient packaging and delivery of drug products requires a detailed understanding of the constantly changing regulatory landscape. The pharmaceutical and packaging industries have to constantly evolve to adhere to stricter guidelines and standards of excellence, and do so under increased scrutiny.

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) also continuously creates and revises standards in response to industry needs to keep up with the evolving pharmaceutical landscape. Specific to packaging, in recent years there has been a surge in revisions of USP chapters centered on the evaluation of packaging components for drug products.

These changes can be a lot to keep up with, which is where there is opportunity for companies to provide expertise as a partner to pharmaceutical companies, helping to ensure drugs are packaged and delivered in accordance with the latest regulations. This is possible through expertise and optimal facility to support customers, as well as having the capabilities to design and perform studies necessary to demonstrate compliance throughout a product’s lifecycle.

Challenges in Today’s Market
The rate at which packaging innovation has had to accelerate in recent years to optimize drug delivery for pharma, healthcare professionals and patients alike is greater than perhaps ever before – but necessary to keep up with medical advances, remain competitive and accommodate the unique and differentiated needs of combination products, biologics, vaccines and other specialty medicines.

Similarly, regulations from governing bodies are ever-changing and for contract manufacturers it requires not only expertise but meticulousness in order to stay on top of the most current guidance and ensure our work remains compliant.

Other common sticking points in the current landscape include pricing and access, combatting counterfeit products and an emphasis on sustainability – all of which must be addressed for the betterment of our industry and those we serve, but can be complex to effectively tackle.

Across our industry, we are also facing unique and acute challenges in this moment due to COVID-19. In addition to the impact felt by patients and the healthcare system at large, contract marketing companies have had to put safety measures in place and workarounds for related considerations. This includes protection of office sites and manufacturing facilities, careful supply chain monitoring, accounting for transport delays, fostering business continuity and planning, and continuing to meet customer needs from sales to support. These are unprecedented times, but the ability to navigate through speaks to the adaptable and nimble qualities that help many companies succeed under any unexpected circumstances.

From complex drug development to regulatory scrutiny, changing standards to combination products – there are many considerations contract manufacturers must carefully address and work through related to packaging. Here it is useful to take an “integrated solutions” approach, in order to both streamline and maximize capabilities and offerings by: reducing development and supply risk, accelerating time to-market, minimizing total cost of ownership and improving the patient experience.

Innovations in Pharmaceutical Packaging – and a Look to the Future
As market and healthcare landscape trends continue to evolve, so must packaging innovation. As yesterday’s efforts continue to inform our paths today and tomorrow, the eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely change the shape of our industry moving forward, in ways we might not have fathomed as recently as a few months ago. Treatment regimens will likely continue to shift toward shorter or less frequent dosing, as well as more self-administered options. Particularly as more people are staying home and minimizing non-emergency doctor or hospital visits, the need for new packaging and delivery systems that allow patients to receive treatment in the comfort of their home is likely to increase at an even faster pace.

Across disease states, the hope for a cure has always existed. As clinical research, science and technological capabilities propel forward, there is a greater possibility that this hope will become a reality for more – which would in turn steer therapies away from symptom- or chronic-management focused, but rather to be curative in nature.

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Tom Podesta has held various technical and managerial positions in the Healthcare field since graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. Tom’s current position is Global Vice President of Sales for West’s Contract Manufacturing division.  In this role, Tom is responsible for all aspects of global commercial sales which includes device development, industrialization and sustaining commercial production. During his tenure, West Contract Manufacturing’s capabilities have evolved to a full-service provider of medical and drug delivery devices with infrastructure and regulatory experience to support drug handing and final packaging. Prior to this role, Tom has held several positions at West which included regional and market focused sales and marketing management positions including an initial role as sales engineer.