CPhI Podcast Series

This episode covers how the pharmaceutical industry can work towards better meeting the needs of an underserved population. Rare diseases are often overlooked by pharmaceutical companies when developing drugs as the process is time consuming, expensive, and only serves a niche market. But the patients suffering from rare diseases still deserve to have the best opportunity for life changing medicine. Dea Belazi from AscellaHealth discusses the challenges in this field, and the exciting paths into the future.

In this podcast Christine Furst, Senior Director Key Account Management Europe from Vetter joins host Lucy Chard to discuss the relationship between pharma companies and CDMOs and the impacts this relationship has on a business's vision for the future.Taking into consideration that although the practical and technical aspects have to line up, more and more partnerships are placing value in the corporations seeing ‘eye to eye' because they want the relationship to grow and flourish. We touch on the importance of people, sustainability and values aligning for building successful partnerships.

This month's podcast episode sounds a little different, covering the latest event in Paris - Pharmapack 2025. Digital Editor Lucy Chard speaks to several experts direct from the floor of the show, bringing you right in on the action. In this special episode we hear from experts Tom Etheridge from Team Consulting, Lizzie Smith from Anthesis Group, Asmita Khanolkar from SMC Ltd, and our very own Sherma Ellis Daal from Informa Markets to give a few different perspectives on some aspects of the event and the industry as a whole.

In this episode, Evonne Brennan joined host Lucy Chard for a chat about the complex world of excipients. Excipients is an ever changing field that involves a lot of moving parts and in the following episode Evonne gave an insight into some of these aspects. The podcast covers the security of the excipient supply chain and how this can influence issues such as drug pricing and drug shortages. Brennan highlights how important communication and collaboration is in this field for education and for pushing to find the next target for progress, that ultimately will make the lives of patients better.

In this episode Lucy Chard is joined by Rajiv Khatau to discuss the importance of looking into new therapeutic areas and some of the more niche areas of pharmaceuticals, discussing innovations and the potential for shaping the future of pharma on a global scale. In particular, and in light of the lead up to the inaugural CPHI Middle East in December 2024, Rajiv shares his expertise on the Middles East market and comments on why this region is so well suited to pushing the boundaries and becoming a leader in areas of biotech, genomics, and other public health fields.

In the latest episode Lucy Chard is joined by Thomas Cornell from Abzena to discuss protein engineering for drug design and development. Tom gives an insight into the world of protein engineering, how it's an invaluable tool for improving the stability, functionality, and applicability for drug products. He comments on some aspects of the field that are particularly exciting at the minute, discussing some of the key aspects of antibody drugs, the potential for bispecifics in improving functionality, but also considering the parts such as genomics for creating a wider knowledge base, and in the future using computational design and AI to develop drugs more safely.

Lucy Chard, Digital Editor for CPHI Online discusses womens' health, and more specifically about women's representation in clinical trials and the associated ripple effects with Emma Banks, CEO of Ramarketing. The podcast highlights the social and medical implications and bias' that lead to disparity and the complexities around this.Also covered is the need for solutions in combatting bias, such as by using tools including education and technology, and cross-sector collaboration. Banks highlighted how important it is to acknowledge the differences and work with them to change the lived mindset and make safer, more effective medicines.

In this episode we're focusing on some of the work from one of our valued partners at CPHI, the PSCI. The PSCI have recently published the results from their audits and to talk us through these Digital Editor Lucy Chard is joined by Birgit Skuballa. Skuballa represents Bayer in the PSCI as Chair of the PSCI Audit Committee, and gives us a information on how these audits work, the different pillars across the pharmaceutical industry that the audits address, how this changes regionally, and importantly, how the PSCI work with their members afterwards to improve their practices.

On this episode of the podcast I'm joined my marketing specialist and entrepreneur, Raman Sehgal. Sehgal is the founder of several companies, including life science marketing company Ramarketing. In this podcast Raman and I discuss the different ways marketing can help companies in achieving their goals, whether it's in how to go about finding the right partner, creating the right messaging around a companies' ESG values, or how to attract talent. We also go on to talk about the future of digital marketing, especially the increased use of AI in today's world, how much this has changed everyday practices already, and the scope of what is to come.

Daniel Mora-Brito joins Lucy Chard to discuss the health landscape in the African continent, covering some of the greatest threats seen there over the years and that are still impacting people's lives on a daily basis, helping to drive home the importance of improved, localised healthcare in the continent. Lucy and Daniel talk about the economic factors that underpin a lot of the transformations across the region, from the perspective of those on home turf and the companies from different regions looking to invest and expand into this space. Daniel mentions the different actors in the region and what expanding capacities in Africa will mean for patient access in a rapidly expanding population.

This podcast episode aims to explain the importance and intricacies of developing excipients and then goes into more depth regarding the excipient market, how this differs globally, what tactics different companies are now using to gain ground and push the field forward to be able to develop more innovative drug delivery systems. Digital Editor Lucy Chard is joined by Nick DiFranco, MEM, the Global Market Manager for Novel Pharmaceutical Excipients at Lubrizol Life Science. Lubrizol is a pioneer in the novel excipient development space so DiFranco can give a deep level of insight into the field as it stands, some of the innovative products they're developing at Lubrizol, and the trends to look out for the in future.

Welcome to the last episode of 2023! Digital Editor Lucy Chard is joined by her team in a special retrospective episode to close out the year. Guests Vivian Xie, Editor for CPHI Online and Tara Dougal, Content Director for Pharma, discuss their highlights from the year; diversity, sustainability, and the CPHI Barcelona event cropping up as top features. The Women in Pharma series that Vivian has worked on for the past year has been a resounding success, some of our most impactful content on CPHI Online, which, as arguably some of our most important content we are so pleased to see that reflected with our audience. We also cover sustainability, drug approvals, Alzheimer's research, mRNA oncology vaccines, and digital marketing for pharma companies.To see more about everything we mentioned in the podcast, see the links below:Women in Pharma Interviews Women in Pharma: Advancing gender diversity & healthcare equality - https://www.cphi-online.com/women-in-pharma-advancing-gender-diversity-news121441.htmlWomen in Pharma: Empowering yourself and other women in pharma - https://www.cphi-online.com/women-in-pharma-empowering-yourself-and-other-news122294.htmlSustainability CPHI Sustainability Trend Report 2023: Towards a Greener Future - https://www.cphi-online.com/cphi-sustainability-trend-report-2023-towards-a-news121332.htmlCPHI Podcast Series: An insight into the Chief Sustainability Officer - https://www.cphi-online.com/cphi-podcast-series-an-insight-into-the-chief-news120741.htmlCPHI Podcast Series: Sustainable Strategies in the Pharmaceutical Packaging Industry - https://www.cphi-online.com/cphi-podcast-series-sustainable-strategies-in-the-news119779.htmlTop ContentYour Prescription for Marketing Success: Digital Pharma Marketing Toolkit – Free eBook - https://www.cphi-online.com/your-prescription-for-marketing-success-digital-news121086.html10 Major Drug Approvals So Far in 2023 - https://www.cphi-online.com/10-major-drug-approvals-so-far-in-2023-news121294.htmlCPHI Podcast Series: Exploring neurological frontiers in Alzheimer's and beyond - https://www.cphi-online.com/cphi-podcast-series-exploring-neurological-news122273.htmlThe CPO Starter Pack: Why and When to Bring in a Contract Packaging Partner - https://www.cphi-online.com/the-cpo-starter-pack-why-and-when-to-bring-in-a-news120889.htmlAshwagandha and Herbal Medicines: Pharma's Next Big Opportunity -

In this special post-CPHI Barcelona episode, host Lucy Chard speaks to Matthew Wise from CCD Partners about the Start-up Market held at the event. In this podcast they speak about the event, which for the first time held a specific area for Start-up companies, something that is particularly applicable to the Catalan region as a leading area for innovation in pharma and healthcare, they also talk about discuss what this start-up market means for the companies, as well as for investors and potential partners, and for the future of pharma innovation.

This episode covers the recent changes in legislature around drug pricing in the USA, and what this means for the global pharma market, as well as the impact it will have on the US population in terms of access to medicine. The price negotiations with Medicare are targeting medications used in the treatment of many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. We will take a look at what this means for people with chronic disease, and conversely the impact on the individual pharma companies and then more widely, on innovation in the industry.

Digital Editor for CPHI Online, Lucy Chard, is joined by Alan Palmer of Elixa MediScience to talk about neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease and everything that is encompassed under this terminology, spanning the history of disease, the social impacts, the different modalities and developments in therapeutics, and what the future of research into care in this field holds.

Digital Editor Lucy Chard speaks with Bill Whitford of DPS Groupabout the integration of AI in healthcare. Bill gives context to the use of AI in different aspects of medicine and drug discovery, including how it can help revamp drug repurposing strategies and save time when searching for drug targets. We also see the implications the technology could have socially, by helping to eliminate bias in clinical trials, and the prospect of how far AI could go.

In this episode of the CPHI Podcast Series, Digital Editor Lucy Chard is joined by Sandra Sánchez y Oldenahrey, the President and CEO of PharmaAdvice. Sandra has 35 years of experience in the Life Sciences industry, working with giants in the pharma field throughout Latin America, Canada, and parts of Asia. In this interview, Sandra discusses the practicalities of nearshoring, the benefits it gives to companies as well as individuals, and the effects it has socially and economically on a global scale.

Gil Roth, President of the Pharma & Biopharma Outsourcing Association, delves into the most exciting aspects of outsourcing and manufacturing in this interview, including some of the biggest areas of innovation and technology, such as cell and gene therapeutics. We also get an update on the industry as a whole since the COVID-19 pandemic and how companies are adapting to changes in the market and regional trends.

In this episode from the CPHI Podcast Series Louise Duffy and Campbell Bunce from Abzena speak to Digital Editor Lucy Chard, using their cumulative knowledge to give an overview of the drug development and manufacturing processes, demonstrating all of the aspects that go into such an undertaking as making a new drug for a patient population. They highlight some of the key areas that teams have to work on, the detailed analysis that has to take place at each stage, as well as within the wider context with regulations to consider, and finally they highlight some of the key areas for innovation and for expanding knowledge in the field.

In this episode Digital Editor Lucy Chard finds out more about being the Chief Sustainability Officer in the pharmaceutical industry from Nic Hunt, Global Head of Sustainability at Nelipak Healthcare Packaging. In the podcast we discuss what it means to be in the role of a Chief Sustainability Officer, how the role is set to develop along with more established sustainability teams. The role they provide is so integral to the overall health of a pharma company, the pharma supply chain and subsequently the health of the planet. Hunt's optimism about the industry making real changes to how they work and meeting goals such as Net Zero really comes across, with the outlook for the future of sustainability in pharma a bright one.

The podcast focused on the 30 year anniversary of Ursatec in the provision of preservative-free pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics. We took a look through the Ursatec portfolio, the importance of safety and sustainability in their products, and what the future holds for the company.

As part of celebrating International Women's Day on the 8th March 2023, we wanted to highlight the importance of supporting women's health. Historically, women's medicine, in relation to diseases, and sexual and reproductive rights, has been chronically overlooked in the wider field. We hope to use this podcast with special guest Dr Charlotte Fairweather, to open up a wider conversation about educating and empowering women so they can access the healthcare they need.

Rare disease is an often overlooked field of medicine, but one which is rapidly gaining ground, which is certainly a good thing as rare diseases affect around 300 million people globally. By their nature, rare diseases are incredibly difficult to research and develop medicines for, but this just makes it all the more urgent to fulfil this unmet need for rare disease patients.In this podcast I am joined by Rachel Smith; Rachel is the Executive Director, Global Head of Rare Diseases at Parexel. Rachel brings more than a decade of experience in every development phase of rare disease and cell and gene therapy clinical trials to her work with Parexel's rare disease clients. Previously, she served as Vice President of Clinical Operations, Portfolio Director of Rare Disease, and Global Head of the Cell & Gene Center of Excellence at Veristat LLC. She led programs in ADA-SCID, Canavan disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Fabry disease, Gaucher disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy, and Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome. Rachel has expertise in clinical development strategy, novel and adaptive trial design, decentralized trials, and other creative solutions for rare disease products with a non-classical route to market.

Sustainability in pharma is now gaining the recognition it deserves, quickly becoming one of the biggest priorities for pharma companies across the spectrum. Upgrading this Packaging in pharma comes in all shapes and sizes – whether we are talking about replacing single use plastics in manufacturing, or waste management at the end of the commercial chain. Today we will be talking about sustainability in the pharmaceutical packaging industry, how it can be more ingrained and the impact it will have, with an expert from a leading European packaging company, Adelphe. Félicie Pachot is the Health Marketing Manager at Adelphe and she goes into the model Adelphe uses to support sustainable practices through recycling, reduction of waste, and resue.

In this latest episode from the CPHI Podcast Series, Digital Editor Lucy Chard speaks to Sanjay Sharma, Global Head of Manufacturing, from Dr Reddy's. Sanjay has over 26 years of experience in roles encompassing sales, the supply chain, and technical operations.Pharma 4.0 is the upgrading of the pharma industry to a more digitalised state, including automation of processes and greater system integration. This has a wealth of advantages, such as leading to greater compliance and quality control in the manufacturing process. Pharma 4.0 also leads to increasing the sustainability of many aspects of the pharmaceutical chain. Dr Reddy's is a leading pharmaceutical company and is at the forefront of adopting industry 4.0 into their everyday systems. Dr Reddy's largest manufacturing facility in Bachupally, Hyderabad, India, recently joined the Global Lighthouse Network of the World Economic Forum, a network of over 100 manufacturing companies committed to developing and leading the progression into Industry 4.0 technologies. This commitment from Dr Reddy's will help to reduce manufacturing costs, production lead time, and energy consumption, as well as increasing the quality assurance throughout the manufacturing process.

The pharmaceutical industry is brimming with innovation – from biologics such as cell and gene therapies to COVID-19 treatments and precision oncology drugs. And as pharmaceuticals grow more advanced, so too must the drug delivery and packaging solutions that get them safely from the manufacturer to the patient. This is a competitive arena and among all the companies operating in this space, startups are generally seen as the drivers of innovation, often taking high-risk approaches and doing business with greater agility. In this episode, CPHI is joined by Gareth Pearce, founder of Pacifi Ltd, a startup that modifies glass vials with laser technology to create DuoVIAL, an innovative lyophilized drug delivery solution. Gareth takes us through his company's journey, explains his long-term vision and speaks more broadly about the role events can play in a startup's path to success.   Listen to the full episode now.

An outbreak of zoonotic disease can have devastating economic and social consequences, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing concern over monkeypox. Defined as a disease that has transitioned from a vertebrate animal to humans, zoonoses account for about 60% of known infectious diseases and 75% of new or emerging infectious diseases.   So, what can be done to limit the spread of these diseases and prevent the next pandemic?    In the latest episode in the CPHI Podcast Series, we hear from two companies – Chipsafer and SoundTalks - whose products use data analytics and AI to identify diseases in animals at the earliest indication. Chipsafer is a patented platform that detects and tracks anomalies in livestock behaviour, giving farmers earlier warning when disease breaks out in the herd. Joining us to break down how the platform works is Chipsafer's founder and CEO, Victoria Alonsoperez. Similarly, SoundTalks is a company that provides real-time health monitoring in pig herds, using microphones and sound analytics to detect possible outbreaks of respiratory disease. SoundTalks' founder Dries Berckmans joins us to discuss.  

Excipients are essential to the formulation of drug products, but their importance in supporting innovative drug development is often underestimated. According to the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council (IPEC), drugs that have yet to be developed may need more excipients than are currently available to us, and many new treatments are unlikely to succeed without novel excipients. In short – innovation in drug development requires innovation in excipient manufacturing.  However, the lack of an independent regulatory pathway for novel excipients has historically created barriers to their use and discouraged innovation in the excipients space. In this episode Nigel Langley, Chair of IPEC – Americas and Global Technology Director at BASF Corporation, joins us to discuss developments in the novel excipients arena, as well as the pilot review program launched by the FDA last year. 

The supplements market is on the rise, with products like vitamins, herbal drinks, and protein powders found in more household cupboards than ever before. The increasing popularity of supplements has coincided with the rise of wellness culture and increasing interest in preventative healthcare, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the market was declining before emergence of the coronavirus reignited global sales. Supplements can be an excellent way to cover deficiencies not addressed by food intake, but the wide range of products available in health food shops, pharmacies and supermarkets can be overwhelming for consumers. And while market growth is expected to continue, products such as herbal supplements and CBD continue to face regulatory issues and scrutiny over the soundness of their health claims. To discuss the latest trends in the supplements space, we're joined this month by David Ridley, Senior Editor at HBW Insight and host of Over the Counter podcast. He tells us which products surged in popularity during the pandemic, discusses the rise of self-care, and gives an overview of the regulatory environment in Europe.

Recent market https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/sterile-injectable-drugs-market-size-in-2022-52-cagr-with-top-countries-data-which-product-segment-is-expected-to-garner-highest-traction-within-the-sterile-injectable-drugs-industry-in-depth-117-pages-report-2022-03-29 (reports) tell us that the sterile injectable drugs market is set to grow in the coming years, driven by the increasing use of injectables in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, among others. The COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to this increasing demand and consequently, the market has seen a tightening of capacity. For this reason, many biotech and pharma companies are now having to outsource the manufacturing of their drug products. Yet, many have limited-to-no experience of working with a CMO. In this episode we have the pleasure of being joined by Jayna Blake, Senior Project Manager for Technical Programs at Baxter BioPharma Solutions, a leading CMO with a focus on specialized sterile injectable manufacturing.

Environmental impact is an area of increasing focus for the pharma and biopharma industries, with companies like Merck, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline setting https://www.dcatvci.org/features/big-pharma-and-sustainability-tracking-companies-goals/ (ambitious targets) for carbon neutrality and laying plans for waste reduction. The need for sustainable solutions is recognised by both industry and consumers, with many companies reimagining their products and processes to incorporate more eco-friendly materials, minimise waste and improve social impact. One such company is SHL Medical, a producer of advanced delivery devices such as autoinjectors, who are utilising data science to advance their sustainability goals. In this week's episode, CPhI speaks to Frederick Gertz, Manager of Data Science at SHL, and Veluska Bruce, ESG project manager, about the relationship between data and sustainability. They explain how data insights drove the installation of more sustainable manufacturing processes and advocate for the ‘win-win scenarios' made possible by adopting a data-driven approach.

Global mergers and acquisitions hit an https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/global-ma-volumes-hit-record-high-2021-breach-5-trillion-first-time-2021-12-31/ (all-time high) in 2021, and in the life sciences industry these kinds of deals show no sign of slowing down.  Many companies are turning to M&A to optimise their portfolios and gain access to new technologies, fuelled by an abundance of capital in the sector. These deals can have transformative effects on the companies involved; ideally promoting synergy, diversifying product offerings and improving economies of scale.   However, striking a successful deal takes a lot more than agreeing a price and signing on the dotted line. A company must consider the impact of M&A on its people – how to integrate teams, retain talent and communicate effectively.   CPhI spoke to Dr Fintan Walton, CEO and Founder of https://www.pharmaventures.com/ (PharmaVentures,) about the central role of people in a successful M&A deal. He tells us about the importance of integration planning, e

Smart devices and companion apps are transforming the patient experience, giving users much more autonomy over treatments and shifting care from hospital to home. The move to digitalisation however is not easy for everyone – particularly users who are less digitally savvy - how can manufacturers design easy to use, intuitive packaging and device solutions which both engage and delight users? This month's guest is Alex Driver, Senior Consultant at Team Consulting, who draws on an engineering background to advise on considerations for optimal design strategies and shares some great examples of innovative device solutions on the market.

The biopharmaceutical industry has seen incredible growth in the past decade, and shows no sign of slowing as the need for specialised treatments in oncology, immunology and vaccines continue to grow. To support innovation, the biopharma industry needs a suitably skilled workforce, and therein lies one significant challenge facing the market at present. Emerging technologies and new capabilities require a specialized skill-set, and finding the right candidates in a competitive market can be complex. This podcast will discuss what can be done to close this skills-gap, enabling biopharma innovation to continue at pace.

In this month's CPhI podcast, sponsored by https://www.cphi-online.com/galien-comp263839.html (Galien Pharma), we focus on the technology behind orally dissolving tablets. The orally dissolving tablet is a solid dosage form that is sometimes viewed as an unsung hero compared to other patient-centric drug delivery systems. ODTs are becoming increasingly important in the pharmaceutical market for both prescription and OTC medications not least because they can significantly improve patient compliance.

In this special edition podcast, Informa Markets pharma editor Gareth Carpenter speaks to Bikash Chatterjee, CEO at Pharmatech Associates and Dan Stanton, editor and founder at Bioprocess Insider about some of the findings in the recently published CPhI Annual Report 2021 including latest innovations in continuous manufacturing and what is driving growth in the mammalian biomanufacturing sector.

Sponsors within the biopharmaceutical industry are increasingly turning to outsourcing for several reasons; remaining competitive and flexible within a quickly evolving sector, gaining access to manufacturing capacity and state-of-the-art equipment and scaling up to the commercial level are just three examples. With so many outsourcing options available, selecting the CDMO that is the right fit for any particular sponsor company can be a challenging task. We speak with Frank Ternes, Chief Commercial Officer and Filip Ringborg, Director Contract Management & Operations Development, at Recipharm on best practice when it comes to selecting the right fit for your outsourcing requirements and how strategic partnerships built on trust are fundamental to success.

mRNA (Messenger ribonucleuc acid) technology has been thrust into the limelight in recent months, with the platform proving to be the springboard for two approved vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The complex science around mRNA is very different from that of small molecule traditional pharmaceuticals or traditional biologics such as monoclonal antibodies. This month we speak to Christy Eaton, Global SME, Sterile Drug Products, Pharma Services Group at Thermo Fisher Scientific about how CDMOs are providing their manufacturing and fill finish expertise to bring mRNA vaccines to market in as timely a fashion as possible.

As more and more companies operating in the pharmaceutical space are moving into cosmetics, the temptation is to think that life will be much easier from a regulatory and compliance perspective. However, while it is true that pharmaceuticals are more heavily regulated, this does not mean that cosmetics developers can rest on their laurels. The subtle lines between making marketing claims about cosmetics that are deemed allowable and those crossing the line into drug products can often be blurred. The wrong claims can cause a cosmetic product to be misbranded attracting unwanted attention from the US Food and Drug Administration. In this podcast with John Bailey and Catherine Bailey from EAS Consulting, we take a look at the various common compliance issues that can arise when jumping the boundary from drugs to cosmetics.

Cannabinoids have caught the attention of Pharma and Cosmetic companies alike in recent years, celebrated for their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties in cosmetic products, and neurological and chronic pain benefits on the pharma side. There is also rising consumer demand for cannabinoids, exacerbated by a shift towards ‘natural' and toxin free products, which present an interesting opportunity for ingredient manufacturers and producers. In this podcast we speak to Dr. Monica Vialpando, founder and CEO of Via Innovations about the promising applications of cannabinoids, the innovative approaches to product development and formulation, and examining the regulatory and legal considerations of bringing these products to market and whether there is an opportunity for pharma companies to diversify into the cosmetics market.

The contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) market is projected to grow to just short of $158 billion by 2025 as a CAGR of 6.9%, amid increasing appetite from biopharma and pharma companies to outsource their manufacturing. In many cases, M&A gives companies the opportunity to expand their reach beyond certain geographies or beef up their service offerings with additional capabilities in the development and manufacturing chain. In this month's podcast, we speak to Kevin Bottomley, partner at global corporate advisory firm focused on healthcare and life science companies, Results Healthcare, about what is driving M&A strategies in the pharma space and whether investors see high potential for the highly fragmented CDMO sector.

Spray drying is used in various pharmaceutical applications and has become an increasingly popular technique in the production of formulations of poorly soluble APIs and inhalable dry powder formulations. This remarkable technology involves spraying a liquid formulation through a nozzle creating small droplets that dry and produce a powder in one single step. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, spray drying is suited to the production of peptides, proteins, and poorly water-soluble APIs, because it allows them to be co-processed with amorphous form stabilizers or solubility enhancement excipients. Another advantage is that the approach reduces the number of unit operations, potentially lowering manufacturing costs. In this podcast interview with Stefano Console, Senior Advisor and Founder at Oriento, we explore how spray drying can overcome the problem of low bioavailability that all too often stalls clinical testing programmes as well as how it can help in drying and formulating biologics compounds.

Co-crystals are crystalline materials composed of two or more different molecules, typically active pharmaceutical ingredients and co-crystal formers in the same crystal lattice. Tailoring of co-crystals can provide opportunities to not only enhance bioavailability and stability but also the processability of APIs during drug manufacturing. In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration published guidance clarifying the regulatory classification of pharmaceutical co-crystal solid-state forms for companies planning to submit new drug applications. This move has generated a lot of interest in the co-crystal field. In this podcast, we talk to Andy Singh, Founder and CEO at Asha Pharma about how the use of co-crystals has evolved and what are the best approaches to screening and selecting co-crystals to identify the most viable ones to help find suitable development candidates.

While hot melt extrusion was developed in the 1930s and initially used in the plastics and food sector, the pharmaceutical industry has now firmly embraced this technology platform in its manufacturing as a way of solving formulation challenges. Advantages of the approach include the ability to use a wide range of excipients and the ease with which process analytical technology can be incorporated. In this podcast, we speak to Bruce Frank at Lubrizol Life Science Health about how HME has developed as a proven technology for bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug eluting implants and devices, and how it stacks up against other formulation options in terms of cost and scalability in order to deliver high quality, commercialised pharmaceutical products.