Nigel Stapleton, VP of business development - head of Europe at Mabion, shares insights into choosing the right CDMO partner.
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What are the deciding factors when choosing a mid-sized CDMO over a large or small provider?
When choosing a CDMO, size matters. You want to work with a mature company, but not be one of many clients either.
The decision to partner with a mid-sized CDMO often comes down to fit and focus. For biotech innovators, working with a large multinational CDMO can result in longer timelines and limited access to crucial subject matter experts. Larger CDMOs additionally offer many modalities, their broader offering can sometimes dilute the specialised focus needed for complex biologics. making it hard to assess whether they are experts at any specific type of project. Smaller providers may have limitations in scale or depth when tackling complex biologics projects.
Focused mid-sized CDMOs bridge this gap by offering an end-to-end, integrated platform for drug substance and occasionally, drug product development, backed by a strong scientific team with sufficient expertise to complete the project. Central European service providers additionally ensure a cost-efficient execution without compromising quality or compliance.
This balance between being large enough to deliver on complex projects but small enough to retain focus is crucial to ensure optimal customer experience. Clients benefit from personalised and proactive project management, robust technical know-how and a collaborative and transparent organisation.
What are the advantages in partnering with mid-sized CDMOs?
One of the most tangible advantages of working with a mid-sized CDMO is the human element. Each client is prioritised, and access to key SMEs is a given. This means faster alignment, quicker issue resolution, a greater sense of partnership, leading to a more satisfactory client experience. The proximity between operational teams and executive decision-makers enables a more agile response to challenges, adjustments in strategy, and proactive risk mitigation.
Mid-sized CDMOs are uniquely positioned to offer strategic resilience. With large CDMOs, timelines can become inflexible, and communication layered. Small CDMOs may excel in niche offerings but often require additional tech transfers or lack long-term scalability. Choosing a mid-sized CDMO is a strategic decision, not just operational. It’s about ensuring your project receives the attention it deserves, while leveraging the capabilities required to bring complex biologics to patients.
Beyond capabilities and infrastructure, successful CDMO partnerships often depend on culture and mindset. Mid-sized CDMOs tend to foster a more collaborative, service-oriented culture, where customer goals are internalised across project teams. Teams are small enough to stay focused, yet skilled enough to handle complex, regulated biologics projects with confidence. This culture supports transparent communication, iterative problem-solving, and genuine scientific dialogue - elements that are often harder to sustain in larger organisations with siloed departments or rigid workflows.
Why might a biotech gain an edge by partnering with a mid-sized CDMO?
Partnering with a mid-sized CDMO can provide a critical speed advantage, as these organisations typically maintain shorter queue times, leaner decision-making structures, and more adaptable resource allocation. This allows biotechs to accelerate tech transfer, batch release, and process adjustments compared to the longer decision-making timelines typical of larger organisational structures. In a race to clinic or market, weeks or even days can determine competitive positioning—and a mid-sized partner can deliver on those time-sensitive needs.
Biotechs thrive on innovation, and innovation requires collaboration. Mid-sized CDMOs often operate with a stronger partnership mentality, offering direct access to senior scientists, project managers, and even executive leadership. This high-touch model fosters faster troubleshooting, real-time feedback, and mutual alignment on development goals. Rather than being a small fish in a large pond, biotech teams are treated as priority partners resulting in a more agile and aligned development process. That deeper integration can be the difference between a project that advances efficiently versus one that stalls in communication gaps.
What are the emerging trends in CDMO selection among biotechs today?
Biotech companies are increasingly prioritising fully integrated CDMOs that can provide end-to-end services under one roof from cell line development and process development to drug substance, fill-finish, and QC release. Ideally a CDMO has full control over the entire chain with an emphasis on the later activities, as these drive the timeline. This consolidated model reduces dependency on external factors and allows more control over timelines.
One notable shift is the preference for CDMOs with broad and deep analytical capabilities, covering full QC batch release, but also including complex analytical capabilities such as mass spectrometry. These tools are essential for efficient process development as well as trouble shooting and having these available in-house assures short turnaround times when this is most critical for decision making.