Production Strategy: Defining a 20-year API Production Strategy for a Pharmaceutical Company

SITUATION

• In the past 20 years a large pharmaceutical company had invested predominantly in High Volume (HV) capacity
• In contrast, current pharma industry trends, such as targeted therapies, and the prevalence of Oncology indications led to smaller manufacturing lots and increased agility at launch
• These trends triggered the client to define its strategy to achieve speed, supply security, cost efficiency and deploy innovative technologies

SOLUTION

• Established centers of excellence to bundle competencies and leverage synergies whilst also augmenting cooperation between Production and Development for seamless process, technology and knowledge transfer 
• Focused internal manufacturing on launches and pre-loss of exclusivity (LOE) products for agility and reliability of product supply by investing in emerging technologies, especially continuous flow manufacturing, incorporating cost efficient state-of-the-art platforms 
• Reduced high volume capacity and modernized the multi-purpose and small volume (MPP & SV) platform with excellent launch sites that manufacture innovative molecules until LOE

IMPACT

• Achieved the right balance of all platforms in a lean and integrated network with an operating model focused on value-adding core duties and outsourcing of standardized non-core tasks
• Integrated proven innovations as early as possible in the technology portfolio by strategic collaboration with development leading to utilizing state-of–the-art technologies, e.g. continuous flow manufacturing, to generate a competitive advantage compared to competitors 
• Adapted the technology mix to the future requirements, whilst simultaneously optimizing the footprint of the global production facilities based on skill availability