Key trends for pharma in 2020 reported from CPhI Worldwide

Discussions from CPhI Worldwide 2019 have revealed that key indicators suggest a strong year ahead for pharma in 2020. At the conference’s sessions, speakers identified the coming trends for the next year.

A number of trends in the pharmaceutical industry were analysed at the event’s sessions. One pointed to the potential increase in value-added medicines (VAM), such as using existing molecules in new therapies for novel applications, as a good opportunity. Aurelio Arias, IQVIA senior consultant and panellist, suggested that a primary driver is the cost of novel therapies, which is putting ever-increasing pressure on healthcare budgets.

Another idea reported to be gaining increased traction internationally is how to improve gender equality. The discussion on women in pharma explored how inclusive workplaces are helping actively build corporate value over competitors. Speaking at the event, Melissa Rancourt, Founder and Chairman of Greenlight for Girls, believes that to take the next step forward, “diversity needs to be looked at in all aspects,” while Kathy Teoh, Global Diversity & Inclusion Consultant at DSM, suggests that future-fit workplaces will increasingly take a “collaborative approach to leadership and transition away from the command and control management models”.

The dramatic rise in the number of dedicated CMOs that provide cell or gene therapy services was also identified by experts as another key trend. Fiona Barry, Associate Editor at GlobalData’s PharmSource, states that advanced therapies still present fundamental challenges including pricing and reimbursement, regulatory requirements and immature manufacturing technologies.

Orhan Caglayan, Brand Director at CPhI Worldwide added: “This year we saw another record-breaking 48,961 attendance and the industry is looking extremely healthy across the board – from new chemical entities (NCEs) and generics to finished product and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing. There’s a real confidence in all segments of the industry. Pharmaceutical machinery also made significant strides this year, with double the number of exhibitors we have seen in any other year.”