Marcelo Cruz, vice president of marketing and business development at Tjoapack, discusses the trends changing the contract packaging industry, explains how Tjoapack ensures continued growth and shares his hopes for the industry’s future.
mkfilm Shutterstock
What broader trends are you seeing in the contract packaging industry?
There is a growing need for smaller batch sizes, especially in biologics, such as personalised medicines. This approach greatly increases the complexity of the supply chain. Larger companies may not be fast or flexible enough to take on these small-batch projects, but experienced and flexible contract packaging organisations (CPOs) can help address this need. This is partly down to a company’s size and deciding how best to balance company growth with being able to offer flexible solutions. Businesses should aim to reach a sweet spot of profitability and agility while providing comprehensive services and solutions.
The injectables space is also showing a lot of growth, with the cost of development and manufacturing decreasing significantly. This is helping democratise access to medications, including biologic orphan treatments. It is a welcome development, as these life-changing therapies were often too expensive for the mainstream market. Flexible CPOs should offer a variety of production lines, with some capable of handling large volumes of oral solid dose (OSD) products and others specialised in smaller volumes of injectables. These services complement each other and help packaging partners develop customised solutions for clients.
Another exciting trend is that environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies are now becoming a necessary part of the industry’s offerings. Pharmaceutical organisations commit to specific policies and targets and expect the same from all the companies in their supply chains. Tjoapack is active in this area, having recently joined the EcoVadis initiative and investing in sustainability certifications. We aim to minimise waste and energy consumption in all our operations while fulfilling our obligations to communities local to our sites. Compliance with the most stringent global legislation is vital to us, both in the context of drug safety and in terms of sustainability and the impact on our surroundings.
How can companies in the outsourced services space ensure continued growth?
Companies in this space should focus on growing only in the areas they want to lead in, rather than taking on activities in too many fields. CPOs should focus on leading the packaging sector and aim to offer the highest-quality service and innovative solutions in this field. Strategic acquisitions can also add value to a company’s offering by opening up new opportunities in different markets and geographical locations. Continuous investment in the latest technologies and state-of-the-art equipment, and in supporting existing and new talent, can also help ensure companies offer client partners the most innovative and highest-quality solutions.
Do you have any hopes for the future of the biopharma industry?
There is a significant need for the industry to find ways of making treatments more affordable. However, there is a danger of a race to the bottom, with most companies feeling compelled to provide cheaper services at the expense of quality, and that’s something we all have to work hard to avoid. Quality should always be paramount, and that includes quality of service. After all, we are in the business of pharmaceuticals, with the potential to save or change people’s lives. In this environment, low prices should never be the primary objective. My hope for the future is that the industry can find the right balance in providing affordable, high-quality critical therapies to patients in need.