Veranova is a global leader in process development and manufacturing of APIs, with a focus on specialty and complex products. The headquarters of Veranova is in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and it has operations in North America and Europe.

Strategic partnerships between pharmaceutical and biotech companies and CDMOs are becoming increasingly critical for developers to deliver timely, accessible and affordable medicines.

This evolving relationship is transforming the pharmaceutical industry across several key areas, creating faster drug development for businesses and better outcomes for patients.

Accelerating fast-to-market strategies

Over the past decade, the industry has made remarkable progress in shortening drug development timelines.

While speed is important, it must never compromise patient safety or regulatory compliance. CDMOs can streamline drug development timelines by employing advanced process development and optimisation techniques. By adopting cutting-edge technologies, CDMOs can shorten the journey from lab to clinic, lower costs and speed time-to-market.

A notable example is Veranova’s May, 2024, partnership with Phorum.AI, which leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise pharmaceutical manufacturing. By combining Veranova’s extensive datasets with Phorum.AI’s computational chemistry engine, this collaboration aims to enhance process efficiency, reduce costs and boost environmental sustainability.

Innovating in therapeutic modalities

The pharmaceutical pipeline is shifting toward more complex and potent molecules designed for targeted, patient-specific therapies. These include antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), protein degraders, peptides and RNA-based therapies. While these innovations hold immense promise, they also present new processing challenges due to their potency and more complex molecular structures compared to traditional small molecules.

CDMOs are meeting these challenges by offering a range of processing technologies, such as isolation and purification, and investment in potent handling infrastructure and expertise for handling ADCs and other highly potent APIs.

ADCs have emerged as a ground-breaking therapeutic modality, specifically in oncology, by combining the targeting precision of antibodies with the potent effects of cytotoxic drugs. ADCs provide an effective treatment option, with fewer side effects, and Veranova is proud to be a key supplier of ADC linker-payloads for products in clinical development and on the market.

Understanding the growing demand for ADC expertise, Veranova has made substantial investments in expanding the company’s ADC capabilities, including a $30 million expansion of the Devens, Massachusetts, facility, to enhance its ability to manage these complex molecules safely and efficiently.

Strengthening supply chain resilience

The global pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in pharmaceutical supply chains, which has increased interest in establishing onshore development and production to strengthen security and improve co-ordination.

Continuing geopolitical risks have led many companies to develop contingency strategies through domestic partners that will ensure a stable supply chain to meet patient needs.

By partnering with CDMOs, biotech companies gain access to additional manufacturing capacity and expertise. This facilitates production scaling and guarantees a reliable supply chain, especially for high-demand molecules or those requiring accelerated production. CDMOs also provide flexibility, acting as alternate vendors to mitigate risks and ensure consistent product availability for patients.

A skilled CDMO streamlines the complexities of technology transfer, often making the difference between seamless collaboration and critical supply chain failure.

Veranova is committed to building resilient supply chains that empower its customers to navigate global challenges with confidence.

The future of CDMOs

Looking ahead, CDMOs will continue to be at the forefront of pharmaceutical innovation, driving technological advancements and forging strategic partnerships. The collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and CDMOs will be essential for harnessing digital tools and AI to enhance efficiency and reduce development costs.

Veranova’s core values – People, Patients and Innovation – are at the heart of everything it does. The company is committed to developing top talent, as demonstrated by its recent leadership appointments, and it continually invests in cutting-edge capabilities to meet the evolving needs of the pharmaceutical landscape.

Together with its partners, Veranova is shaping the future of pharmaceutical development, driving innovation and ultimately delivering life-changing medicines to patients worldwide.