Dominique De Vos, Global Solution Manager Pharma & Life Sciences at Cegeka has an equation to make sense of digital transformation in the pharma landscape and beyond. NO + OT = CNO. In other words, “New Organization plus Old Technology equals Costly New Organization.” The equation is a reminder that legacy systems are often incompatible…
Merck KGaA Q&A: Solving pharma’s ‘make’ step with SYNTHIA AI synthesis planning
The buzz around AI in drug discovery often centers on generating new molecular ideas. But as computational chemists know, an in silico design is only valuable if it can be efficiently synthesized in the lab and is manufacturable after that. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with its roots in both chemistry (via Sigma-Aldrich) and life science…
How real-time sensors and data-savvy can cut energy waste in pharma
These days, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are sensor-laden and increasingly well-equipped to monitor energy use. Imagine sensors monitoring energy consumption in bioreactors, tracking water usage in purification processes, or measuring waste generation from API production. Modern pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities have become dense ecosystems of sensor networks, tapping a range of technologies to optimize sustainability. Examples include…
PHARMAP 2025: Pharma leaders converge in Berlin for fifth anniversary summit
The PHARMAP 2025 Congress, marking its fiftgh anniversary, is expected to convene 350 pharmaceutical manufacturing specialists, technology innovators, and industry leaders from April 14-15, 2025 in Berlin . The event will draw global pharmaceutical firms including Bayer, MSD, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, and GSK. IT will feature more than 57 speakers across specialized tracks, including pharmaceutical…
What might Hims & Hers decision to sell compounded semaglutide mean for Big Pharma
Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide achieved explosive sales in 2023. Ozempic alone generated $13,892 million in sales for the year. But now that Hims & Hers has revealed plans to sell compounded semaglutide to the masses, questions arise about how the Dutch pharma giant will respond. 2023 was a banner year for the firm with its diabetes…
Hims & Hers introduces affordable compounded GLP-1 drugs amid FDA warnings
Hims & Hers Health Inc., an online pharmacy platform founded in 2017, said it would offer compounded GLP-1 drugs with the same active ingredient (semaglutide) as Novo Nordisk’s mega-blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy, at a significantly lower price of $199 per month. This represents an 85% discount compared to the branded versions…
Schott Pharma commits $371 million to new U.S. manufacturing facility for GLP-1, mRNA therapies
Pharma packaging company Schott Pharma has unveiled plans to establish a new manufacturing facility in Wilson, North Carolina. Schott Pharma says the $371 million investment in the U.S. facility will create more than 400 jobs in the region and significantly expand the company’s presence in the U.S., an increasingly important strategic market for the German…
Amgen opens AI-enabled Ohio biomanufacturing facility
Earlier this year, NVIDIA and Amgen revealed plans to analyze one of the world’s largest human datasets using AI models trained on an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD in Iceland. Now, Amgen is signaling its continued commitment to cutting-edge tech with a ribbon cutting for an advanced biomanufacturing facility in New Albany, Ohio. Known as Amgen Ohio,…
Eicos Sciences’ FDA-approved Aurlumyn promises to drastically reduce frostbite amputations
Imagine scaling a mountain only to later lose digits or an entire hand to the unforgiving ravages of frostbite. For climbers, explorers, adventurous backcountry skiers, and even those caught in unexpected winter storms, severe cold exposure carries a devastating risk — amputation. Today, thanks to a potentially landmark FDA approval, the prospect of losing one’s…
AstraZeneca invests $300 million to establish new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Maryland
Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced that AstraZeneca would invest $300 million to construct a new manufacturing facility in Rockville, a city with roughly 70,000 inhabitants that is about 17 miles from Washington, D.C. The facility will focus on cell therapies for cancer treatment. The 84,000 square-foot facility, slated for completion in 2026, will enable global…