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The new era in biopharmaceutical development promises to usher in a slew of breakthrough medicines, including cures for treatment options. More than 7,800 medications are in clinical development, spanning a wide variety of therapeutic categories from cancer to cardiovascular medicine, diabetes to neurology, thanks to enormous investments in research and development.
And, with roughly 70% of clinical-phase initiatives having the potential to outperform first-in-class medicines, the rapid-growing pipeline includes medications that may provide clinicians with new techniques to tackle diseases. While scientific advancements and innovation in the biopharmaceutical business provide great hope for patients around the world, the road to commercialization is long and arduous. Emerging biopharma businesses are responsible for 65% of the compounds in the R & D pipeline. Many of these small to mid-sized biopharma businesses are seeking a partner who can assist them in navigating the hurdles of a fast-paced, ever-changing market and maximising product success.
Willis Chandler from AmerisourceBergen, a worldwide health company, remarked that biopharma firms are at the forefront of medical discovery. They would like a partner who understands their product unique qualities and can provide support suited to their individual needs to help them overcome hurdles throughout the commercialization cycle, unlock product potential, and speed access.
AmerisourceBergen continues to make strategic investments and deploy creative solutions to upscale and enhance its end-to-end suite of commercialization services, according to Chandler, who joined the company in the autumn. AmerisourceBergen has merged its patient care, creative field solutions, and consultancy teams as part of its commitment to providing an efficient and enhanced client experience.
They know the biopharma partners enjoy the services they provide, Chandler added. They recognised an opportunity to integrate these competencies into a single offering, says the company. The goal is to make working with AmerisourceBergen throughout service lines as simple as possible, while still producing results on the things that matter most to their partners.
Global Development
The global pharmaceutical market has been steadily increasing in tandem with the ongoing rise of the pharmaceutical pipeline. More biopharma businesses are looking to promote their products globally, particularly in Europe. From 2021 to 2028, the European pharmaceutical market is predicted to increase at a compound annual rate of around 5%.
AmerisourceBergen global businesses, which include Alliance Healthcare, a renowned distribution company of healthcare products across Europe, and World Courier, a worldwide specialty logistics provider, have made significant investments to open new facilities and expand their logistics services in strategic markets around the world as the global pharmaceutical market continues to grow. According to Doug Cook, EVP and President, Business Group—Global, at AmerisourceBergen, the investments will improve the company’s ability to provide clinical supply support as well as commercial drug storage and transport, along with temperature-controlled alternatives for specialty pharmaceuticals.
AmerisourceBergen is also growing its consulting services globally. The firm, which already has a strong team of real-world evidence and HEOR experts in Germany and the United Kingdom, is expanding its staff and competencies in both new and existing markets.
While the multiplicity of payers and reimbursement models in the United States makes the market challenging, companies in Europe must manage differing legislation and criteria between countries. Biopharma businesses must understand the issues that influence reimbursement, coverage, and pricing approvals and judgement processes when establishing their market access plans. And, according to the new European Union Health Technology Assessment law, the inevitable shift to a European joint clinical assessment—which will be fully implemented for certain pharmaceuticals in January 2025—would drastically alter access to markets and companies engagement with HTA authorities.
Most small to mid-sized biopharma businesses may have knowledge on one side of the Atlantic, but they want those resources and expertise while launching in a market they are unfamiliar with, opines AmerisourceBergen SVP of Consulting, Tommy Bramley. Their global market access consulting, along with their in-country expertise and skills, enables them to collaborate with their partners to develop successful strategies to support product launches and, in turn, assist patients all over the world to benefit from these new medications. They want a partner who can produce customised solutions to simplify obstacles all through the lifecycle of a product and get medications to patients on-time and in the right condition, said Vice President of Manufacturer Services at Alliance Healthcare, Andy Richmond.
Richmond adds that there has been an uptick in US-based biopharma businesses intending to get a product to the market in Europe that have engaged Alliance for a full-service relationship, citing the combined global scale and capabilities of AmerisourceBergen and Alliance Healthcare. AmerisourceBergen worldwide market access advisory services, combined with Alliance manufacturing solutions and distribution processes across Europe, allow the company to provide enhanced, distinctive value to its clients throughout the commercialization process, according to Richmond.
One of Alliance Healthcare top priorities as it continues to collaborate with its biopharma partners is to build more sustainable supply chain management. Richmond cites Alliance Healthcare innovative use of current delivery services to better handle returns and recycling, as well as the company’s expenditures on testing EVs in its fleet, particularly in the Netherlands—while also constructing better sites with sustainability in mind. He anticipates this will be the biggest single differentiator in the pre-wholesale and wholesaling industry over the next decade.
