US pharmaceutical industry continues to shine according to CPhI 2019 Annual Report

The US pharmaceutical industry continues to lead its global peers in terms of innovation and competitiveness, while still ranking high in overall growth potential despite its mature status, according to the results of a survey of 350 global pharmaceutical industry executives published as part of the recently released CPhI 2019 Annual Report.

Setting the stage for the fourth annual CPhI North America event in May 2020, the CPhI Pharma Industry Rankings survey results indicate the US retains its top position in overall innovation, ahead of Japan and Germany, as well as in innovation in biologics and drug delivery.

Importantly, the US is seen as the most competitive market internationally, as assessed on such variables as tax environment, quality of employees and infrastructure, continuing research potential and access to capital, among other factors.

Despite its maturity, the US market was ranked fourth in overall growth potential, trailing high-growth emerging markets China and India. It was overtaken by Germany as the perceived leading Western economy for pharmaceutical industry growth potential.

The US was seen by survey respondents as the third healthiest market for both API manufacturing and API manufacturing quality, just behind Japan and Germany. This indicates that manufacturers in developed markets are still perceived as producing higher quality products than the large-volume emerging market producers.

Biologics professionals in the US were considered to be the most knowledgeable and ranked highest in thought leadership. The US was also assessed as having the highest biological processing quality and seen as having the largest growth potential for biologics manufacturing.

The CPhI Pharma Industry Rankings surveyed 350 top pharma experts, providing insights on the strength of major pharmaceutical markets and global performance in 2019 from professionals on the front lines of the industry.

Anthony Pombal, CPhI North America Show Director, notes:

Our new report on the worldwide pharmaceutical supply chain highlights the continuing importance of the US as an innovator and model of excellence in the global market, even as emerging market competitors such as China and India advance. The 2019 report also includes a range of informative and stimulating articles from a diverse group of global industry experts, discussing key developments impacting our ever-changing industry. It is essential reading for anyone interested in where the global industry is headed.”

Other key global industry trends were identified in topical essays authored by leading experts. In a provocative article on “Pharma 4.0,” Bikash Chatterjee of Pharmatech Associates highlights the profound transition from a manufacturing (and overall drug development) supply chain based on a reactive framework powered by automation and associated technologies to a predictive framework based upon analytics, thereby allowing firms to anticipate and proactively address potential issues and challenges. This is a fundamental shift with far-reaching implications. Chatterjee notes too that its dominance in big technology suggests that US-based companies will continue to lead in developing new methods that leverage advanced analytics for a variety of applications in data management, security, artificial intelligence, etc. But he also warns that these powerful technologies will not be able to deliver all their potential benefits in the absence of explicit corporate goals and an appropriate organizational context.

An overview of bioprocessing developments by Ulteemit BioConsulting’s Michiel Ultee concludes that the rapid development of more efficient bioprocessing methods is enabling the routine industrialization of biopharmaceutical R&D and commercialization. The emergence of new therapeutics such as cell and gene therapy, another area where the US leads, is driving rapid growth and advancement in bioprocessing, with the result that biologic manufacturing and bioprocessing are no longer major barriers to the development, approval and adoption of biological drugs.

Stuart Needleman of Piramal Pharma Solutions takes readers on “a patient’s journey through the supply chain,” emphasizing the new significance patient centricity will bring to bear on contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs). Increasingly, contract service providers will have to enlarge their current B2B perspective and include the patient as an essential end consumer. This new relationship must be built upon mutual understanding and partnership, with the pharmaceutical supply chain placing the patient at the center of industry efforts. The increased transparency and enhanced intra-industry and industry-patient dialogue Needleman sees as part of this transformation will increase trust, help improve efficacy and produce better medicines for the patients the industry serves globally. Needleman posits that questions rarely addressed today, (e.g. ‘how are my drugs manufactured?’, ‘what is the supply chain process?’ and ‘can we improve our environmental footprint?’) will be key parts of the supply chain and patient engagement package in just a few years’ time.