|
Strategies to adapt to a changing pharmaceutical landscape
To continue on its journey towards 'Pharma 2.0', Pharma needs to balance pressing short-term issues against the longer-term trends shaping the industry.
That's according to Datamonitor Pharmaceutical strategy senior analyst Alistair Sinclair (shown) in the report, "Future pharmaceutical industry trends: Long-term opportunities tempered by short-term challenges."
He says Pharma has recently begun to adapt its business model in response to growing industry constraints and the decline of primary care-focused blockbuster therapy. This process of change has recently been disrupted by unprecedented challenges caused by the global economic downturn and President Obama's planned overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system.
Some of the most pertinent strategies being employed by pharmaceutical companies to adapt to market changes include the following:
- Mega mergers or small-scale acquisitions
- Portfolio expansion or specialization
- Improved pipelines through acquisition or satellite start-ups
- Cutting costs
- Entering specialized high-growth areas
- Global expansion
"While companies have already adapted to some of the new Pharma industry challenges, strategies will need to adapt even further," Sinclair says. "Turbulence in global financial markets and a rise in interventional politics, particularly in the U.S., will make Pharma's journey across a radically altered healthcare terrain far more difficult, although the ultimate goals remain the same. Pharma needs to balance the more pressing short-term issues against the longer-term trends shaping the industry," he says.
"Future pharmaceutical industry trends: Long-term opportunities tempered by short-term challenges" is available for $5,700 at Datamonitor's Web site.
Read the complete story.
Vacuum conveying benefits contract manufacturer Surepharm Services
Surepharm Services Ltd. is a Staffordshire, U.K.-based contract manufacturer specializing in tablet production. By using vacuum conveying technology, Surepharm has improved its working environment by reducing the amount of heavy lifting and manual labor performed by its employees. The company replaced its manual loading operation with three PIAB C-Series vacuum conveyors to transfer powder products to blending and tableting machinery. As a result, the company saved up to 30 hours of labor per week, reduced dust, with the lightweight conveying equipment quickening the cleaning process by reducing the physical demand on the workers.
In the past 15 years, Surepharm has enjoyed study growth. Steve Wood, the company's production services manager, says, "Automated systems will improve the working environment in our facility by reducing manual loading and dust in the atmosphere." Beyond those two benefits, Surepharm recognized the need for a more ergonomic setup in its tableting process.
The application Surepharm assessed involved various veterinary formulations that are prepared, blended, and loaded into drums before being formed into tablets. "With manual loading in place, there were concerns about potential injuries among operators. We wanted to be sure that we were both following regulations as well as maintaining the optimum fill levels for each tablet produced," he says.
Surepharm chose to install three C-Series conveyors to transfer powder products to blending and tableting machinery. Powered by pneumatically driven vacuum pumps, these enclosed stainless-steel systems can safely and quietly transport up to one ton of powder per hour. "The compact nature of the conveyors and the ease of loading and cleaning have proved invaluable," Wood notes.
"Our long-term customer relationships are forged on technical expertise, quality, reliability, and efficiency. It is natural for us to look for these attributes in a partner as well," says Wood. "The PIAB solution simplified and improved the operator environment, and increased productivity by saving us 25 to 30 hours of labor per week. We now have a more reliable solution and far superior equipment and support than offered ever before."
Read more about vacuum conveyor benefits. |
