Packaging
Exploring Pharmaceutical Packaging’s Top 2020 Trends Over the last decade, the pharmaceutical packaging landscape has begun to change at an accelerated pace in order to keep up with the unprecedented growth in the global demand for safe, more affordable medicines. Market analysts predict that the pharmaceutical industry is set to increase its value to $1.5 trillion by 20231. Keeping pace, the proportionate growth of the pharmaceutical packaging sector is being driven by several new trends across the pharmaceutical and healthcare market, as well as the forces driving pharma’s commercial interests and the increasing importance being placed on patient-centric products. The introduction of new technologies has paved the way for companies to explore more innovative solutions to this market demand, as well as discover new ways to improve their operations and drive efficiencies across the supply chain. In this article with International Pharmaceutical Industry, Marcelo Cruz, Director Business Development and Marketing at Tjoapack discusses the current market landscape and the key benefits of building strategic partnerships with specialised contract packaging organisations (CPOs). Injectable and Self-drug Delivery One key area of growth for the pharma and biopharma market has been parenteral drug delivery and new ways for patients to self-administer these dosage forms. Market analysts project the injectable drug delivery market to grow in value from $362.4 billion in 2016 to $624.5 billion by 20212. This growth has further propelled market demand for suitable packaging solutions to protect the products from point of manufacture to patient. The major factors responsible for driving growth in this market are the increasing use of biologics, the prevalence of chronic diseases and effective treatment options available via parenteral delivery, and the need to increase both the effectiveness and safety of parenteral therapeutics to enable 78 INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
safe delivery in a non-clinical environment. These factors have increased the demand for devices such as safety syringes, pre-filled syringes, and autoinjectors and, as a result, contract packaging organisations who can manage the complexity required by these products. Pre-filled Parenteral Administration on the Rise Recent reports projected the global prefilled syringes market to reach $10.57 billion by 2027, climbing at a compound annual growth rate of 10.5% during the forecast period3. The rising shift towards using prefilled syringes to deliver biologics and biosimilars will continue to drive market demand, particularly as these therapeutics are explored in response to the current pandemic. In addition, the already proven application of biologics in targeting diseases with limited treatment options such as some types of cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other non-communicable diseases, will increase demand further. Packaging Capabilities and Expert Support Traditionally, packaging has been seen as an extension of manufacturing operations and as such, many contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) have integrated packaging operations that allow them to provide end-to-end manufacturing and commercialisation solutions for their customers. However, with high demand and more complex products entering the drug pipeline, companies are not only struggling with capacity, but are also increasingly seeking the specialised packaging capabilities and dedicated capacity that can only be provided by experienced contract packaging organisations (CPOs). CPOs are taking a more prominent role in the pharmaceutical supply chain as the demand for economic, efficient packaging services which can be tailored based on product requirements continues to grow. Grand View Research projects the global pharmaceutical packaging market to reach $188.79 billion by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% over the forecast period4.
In addition, the increasing demand for patient-centric medicines and personalised therapeutic modalities will further augment the demand for advanced, flexible pharmaceutical packaging solutions and services for decades to come. Specialised Packaging Partners: Prepared for Performance CPOs, by their nature, have operations entirely focused on delivering this critical step in the drug supply chain. Their indepth knowledge of market requirements and the ability to tailor solutions to meet market and customer-specific needs mean that CPOs can add increasing value over a product’s entire life cycle. Whether drug products are distributed in vials, combination devices or in complex personal medicine kits, the demand for experienced CPOs ability to tackle these requirements and adopt a solution-focused approach to overcome potential product packaging challenges is high. As with the contract services industry in general, CPOs are evolving from transactional service providers to more strategic and integrated commercial partners. Value Chain Expander, Supply Chain Connector Within the context of global regulatory compliance, packaging plays a critical role in connecting the final links in the pharmaceutical supply chain. With an exclusive focus on packaging’s value chain, CPOs can now provide more strategic support well beyond the traditional primary and secondary packaging operations. Dedicated CPOs offer a broader range of services, ranging from primary packaging, quality assurance and complex assembly, to global cold-chain custody logistics and international regulatory support. As such, the role of packaging in pharma is expanding to cover the entire packaging value chain, and its role in serving pharma’s strategic and patient interests will therefore continue to evolve. Postponement Packaging Driving Complexity Along with adapting to increasingly complex packaging requirements, as the Winter 2020 Volume 12 Issue 4
