PharmaSource Podcast

“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. In the latest PharmaSource podcast episode, Alexander explains why LNPs have become crucial in drug delivery, particularly for mRNA vaccines, and shares insights on manufacturing challenges, regulatory considerations, and future applications of this technology. Read the full article

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 proactive process control Seamless ERP integration across the partner ecosystem Standardised quality data exchange and monitoring Compressed timelines from years to months The critical challenge? Standardisation. Unlike mature industries, pharma lacks unified frameworks for digital CDMO collaboration. "Currently, if a sponsor attempts to establish digital collaboration with a CMO, they essentially start from scratch," notes Giudici. Strategic implementation insights: Secure explicit partnership agreements before technical integration Focus on value creation, not job displacement Establish clear cost-sharing frameworks upfront Leverage industry collaboration networks Read the article here Paolo will be speaking about Digital Transformation of Pharma Manufacturing at CDMO Live 2025. Tickets available now

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 male. In our most recent Women in BioPharma meetup Elizabeth Hickman was joined by Nikki Whitfield, CEO of Upperton; and Hennie Zijlstra, Chief Commercial Officer at Adragos to share their perspective. Their combined experience spans research and development, commercial operations, and executive leadership, offering a comprehensive view of how women can succeed in this traditionally male-dominated industry. Join our next meetup: 20th March 2025 Join us for an enlightening conversation with a pioneering female health startup founder, Valentina Milanova, Founder and CEO/CPO of Daye. Valentina will explain her own personal journey in creating an innovative period care and gynae health startup and discuss the systemic issues which are harming women’s health. She will reveal the hidden gender biases she has encountered that are ingrained in the pharmaceutical industry, from research and testing, to investment, manufacturing and marketing. Join the conversation by signing up here

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 eight years in strategy consulting, Devyn’s journey led him to Pfizer, where he served as COO of their cell therapy group in Cambridge, UK, before a series of board roles at various biotechs. In the latest PharmaSource podcast episode, he shares insights on the promise of cell and gene therapy to transform lives and the operational challenges the industry must overcome to realise this potential. Here's the full article