PharmaSource Podcast

"We estimate about 8,000 metric tonnes of solvent per year are used by the industry to support solvent-based spray drying. That's a significant impact on cost, maintenance, safety and the environment," says Elizabeth Hickman, CEO of AustinPx, highlighting a critical sustainability challenge in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Elizabeth Hickman brings extensive experience in pharmaceutic...

“We seek long-term partnerships where our technologies can bring genuine value-add that sustains growth. It’s not about geography – it’s about matching specialties and capabilities with companies who share our vision for innovation,” says  Rocco Paracchini , Director of CDMO Business Unit Morpho at Alfasigma. Rocco Paracchini brings a blend of a biology background and extensive pharmaceutical manu...

A perfect Storm for US Drug Manufacturing as FDA Changes, Trade Wars and M&A Surge Collide "There's optimism… but the challenges aren't day to day - it can be minute to minute," warns Gil Roth, President of the Pharma and Biopharma Outsourcing Association (PBOA), describing a pharmaceutical manufacturing sector facing unprecedented change in 2025. Gil Roth brings deep experti...

“The automotive industry was once in a similar setup to big pharma players, but they evolved through closer supplier collaboration and continuous improvement practices,” says  Fabrice Le Garrec , drawing parallels between today’s pharmaceutical manufacturing challenges and the automotive industry’s transformation. “Toyota’s model of developing suppliers as an extension of your company is something...

Kolon Biotech's Jungjong Cho believes that the future of cell and gene therapy lies in automation, which offers unprecedented precision and cost efficiencies. "Traditional manufacturing is prone to human error and variability among operators, affecting the quality of the product," JJ explains. "To overcome these disadvantages, our robotic manipulator significantly reduces these...

“The Americans put a man on the moon in less time than it takes us to transfer a product between countries – this has to change,” says Luiz Barberini, who leads External Manufacturing for Bayer Consumer Health across Latin America. Luiz Barberini combines over three decades of pharmaceutical supply chain expertise from roles at Pfizer, Merck and now Bayer with academic positions at Brazil’s leadin...

The Netherlands has emerged as one of Europe's most vibrant and interconnected biotech ecosystems, home to over 1,797 life science companies, world-class pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the European Medicines Agency. With its strategic location, exceptional infrastructure, and collaborative spirit, the country has become known as 'what industry leaders call 'Europe's connected li...

“The market for lipid nanoparticles really exploded during COVID-19,” says Alexander Aust, LNP manufacturing expert. Alexander Aust, a consultant specialising in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) manufacturing, brings years of experience from companies like Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals and Exelead. His expertise spans from commercial liposomal drug products to cutting-edge mRNA and gene editing technologies....

The COVID-19 pandemic didn't just disrupt pharmaceutical manufacturing—it catalysed a fundamental shift in how we approach CDMO partnerships. Johnson & Johnson's Paolo Giudici reveals how their four-year digital transformation journey is reshaping the future of external manufacturing. Key transformations reshaping sponsor-CDMO relationships: Real-time manufacturing floor visibility enabling pr...

Leadership insights from our latest Women in BioPharma meetup . "I fully expect that the industry will have multiple female CEOs in the years to come," predicts Elizabeth Hickman , Chief Executive Officer of Austin Pharmaceuticals. However, the current state of the pharma industry is that while gender mix starts fairly even, by the time you get to the C-suite, the top table is still overwhelmingly...

Gene editing and cell therapy, they’re going to be entrenched modalities, much like small molecules and antibodies are today, that will fundamentally reshape healthcare.” says  Devyn Smith . Devyn Smith, CEO of Arbor Biotechnologies and Chairman of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, brings a wealth of experience to the cell and gene therapy ecosystem. With a PhD in developmental biology and e...

Stephen Sheehan  of Alkermes shares their new governance framework for high-performing CDMO partnerships. As Director of External Development & Manufacturing at  Alkermes,  Stephen Sheehan brings over a decade of experience in pharmaceutical development, transitioning from small to large molecules, and implementing innovative CDMO management frameworks. Based in Dublin, he’s responsible for ma...

For us, it’s not a transaction. It really is a partnership,” says  Nikki Whitfield , CEO of Upperton Pharma Solutions. Nikki Whitfield brings over three decades of pharmaceutical development experience to her role as CEO of Upperton Pharma Solutions. A chemist by background and self-described “formulator by heart,” she has significant experience developing sterile and non-sterile dosage forms for...

Hanns-Christian Mahler , Chief Enablement Officer at  ten23 health , is redefining leadership in pharmaceutical manufacturing: “I believe collaboration at the workplace should be primarily based on trust and motivation, not on typical carrot and stick command and control models.” Founded in 2021, ten23 health has a mission to be a human-centric and sustainable strategic partner of the pharmaceutic...

John Childers , Director of Business Development for Wacker Biotech’s North American operations, emphasises the importance of early CDMO partnerships: “Working with an experienced CDMO partner can really help you stay on track for budget and schedule. Think long term – the investment with an external partner can substantially save you time and money.” As part of Wacker Chemie, a century-old German...

The pharmaceutical industry faces a significant challenge with patent expiries threatening established revenue streams of approximately $300 Billion USD. Major brands are approaching patent expiry creating urgency for companies to identify new blockbuster opportunities. This is compounded by policy changes like the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers different exclusivity periods for biologics v...

David Caron , Senior Vice-President of CMC, AL102 at Immunome, shares why choosing the right CDMO partner can make or break a biotech’s development timeline: “For biotechs, the main business challenge is to do right the first time. To do this, we need to look at the risks related to each activity.” David Caron brings over three decades of pharmaceutical industry experience across multiple biotechs...

Dr. Avencia Sánchez-Mejías  is CEO and co-founder of Integra Therapeutics, a Barcelona-based biotech company developing next-generation gene-editing tools. With a background in molecular biology and clinical genetics, she brings over 15 years of experience in genetic therapy research across Europe, the US, and Asia. In this exclusive interview, Avencia shares insights on transitioning from academi...

"The reality is, we have a lot of CDMOs don't they really know what they're getting into" says Herman Bozenhardt Herman Bozenhardt , a pharmaceutical manufacturing consultant with decades of experience in facility design and operations, brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with numerous pharmaceutical companies and contract manufacturers. His expertise spans from traditional small molecule d...

GLP-1 drugs have become a game-changer in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes, forecast to reach a $100 billion market value by 2029. However, their rapid rise raises important questions about resource allocation in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, as well as affecting the dynamics between patients, healthcare providers, and biopharma. In the latest episode of the PharmaSource podcas...

“Treat them as a partner, not just a supplier. It’s a mindset you need to get into.” –  Federica Fraschetti , MSD Federica Fraschetti, Associate Director of External Manufacturing at MSD , brings years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and a passion for optimising partnerships with contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs). In the latest PharmaSource podcast episode, Federica explains...

“Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword in the pharmaceutical industry. It’s a critical business imperative,” says  Hywel Woolf , Global Sustainability Manager at Sharp Services. “ “We’re seeing it become a golden thread in who organizations are and what they intend to deliver, driven by both compliance requirements and client demand.” Hywel Woolf brings extensive experience in environmental...

“Manufacturing network strategy is about connecting the dots and seeing the interconnectivity between different brands,” explains  Daniel Hurni , Director of Manufacturing Network Strategy and Business Intelligence at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). Daniel Hurni brings years of life sciences expertise to his role at BMS, where he is responsible for shaping overarching manufacturing network strategies...

Live from CPHI Milan 2024, this episode is a roundup of conversations with a number of key exhibitors Recipharm , Tjoapack , Renaissance Lakewood , Ecolab and NovaCina . As you'll hear, it was a noisy event, so written transcripts are all available on PharmaSource. Jon Reed, Head of Strategic Business Planning at Recipharm discussed the CDMO’s recent strategic moves, including Predictive Modeling...

"As Americans, we are very unaware of the value proposition of Poland," says Marty Henehan , highlighting the untapped potential of Central European biopharmaceutical manufacturing for North American biotechs. Marty Henehan, Vice President of Business Development and Head of North America at Mabion sheds light on the advantages of partnering with a Polish CDMO for drug development and manufacturin...