PharmaSource Podcast

Francisco Blanco, founder of Conducta consulting, believes the human element in CDMO-sponsor relationships has been lost in the race for efficiency.

“I feel like the human component of these relationships has been lost. When I see five-star client services from CDMOs, it’s typically not because of the strength of their processes – it’s the individual.”

Francisco Blanco brings over 15 years of experience from leadership roles at Thermo Fisher and IQVIA to his consultancy Conducta, where he helps life sciences companies navigate complex supply chain transformations, with particular expertise in cell and gene therapy operations.

In this PharmaSource podcast episode, Francisco shares crucial insights on how biopharma companies and CDMOs can redesign their customer experience approach, particularly as the cell and gene therapy sector evolves.

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"We estimate about 8,000 metric tonnes of solvent per year are used by the industry to support solvent-based spray drying. That's a significant impact on cost, maintenance, safety and the environment," says Elizabeth Hickman, CEO of AustinPx, highlighting a critical sustainability challenge in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Elizabeth Hickman brings extensive experience in pharmaceutical contract manufacturing to her new role as CEO of AustinPx, having worked with several CDMOs and held leadership positions focused on developing innovative pharmaceutical technologies and business strategies.

In a recent interview, Elizabeth discusses how AustinPx's innovative KinetiSol technology is eliminating the need for toxic solvents in pharmaceutical manufacturing while improving drug performance and reducing costs in the realm of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). She also shares insights on leadership and diversity in the pharmaceutical CDMO sector.

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“We seek long-term partnerships where our technologies can bring genuine value-add that sustains growth. It’s not about geography – it’s about matching specialties and capabilities with companies who share our vision for innovation,” says Rocco Paracchini, Director of CDMO Business Unit Morpho at Alfasigma.

Rocco Paracchini brings a blend of a biology background and extensive pharmaceutical manufacturing experience to his role as Director of Morpho at Alfasigma. After transitioning from biotech to CDMO operations in 2011 in different CDMOs across Europe, he joined Alfasigma in June 2024 to drive its Contract Development Manufacturing transformation and growth.

In the latest episode of the PharmaSource podcast, Rocco shares insights into how Alfasigma, a global pharmaceutical company founded over 75 years ago in Italy with 4,000 people across four continents, is evolving its CDMO strategy to meet growing market demands, with particular focus on customer-centric manufacturing solutions and technological innovation.

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A perfect Storm for US Drug Manufacturing as FDA Changes, Trade Wars and M&A Surge Collide

"There's optimism… but the challenges aren't day to day - it can be minute to minute," warns Gil Roth, President of the Pharma and Biopharma Outsourcing Association (PBOA), describing a pharmaceutical manufacturing sector facing unprecedented change in 2025.

Gil Roth brings deep expertise in pharmaceutical policy and manufacturing legislation, having launched PBOA in 2014 as an essential bridge between contract manufacturers and government stakeholders.

In the latest PharmaSource podcast episode, Gil shares detailed insights into how the new administration's trade policies and leadership changes will likely create both challenges and opportunities for US pharmaceutical manufacturing.

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Join Gil Roth and other industry experts at CDMO Live 2025

Fabrice Le Garrec brings extensive pharmaceutical operations experience as former VP of Global Operations at Teva and GSK, and ex-McKinsey consultant. Through OSCIS Network, he now leads a network of over 100 pharmaceutical professionals providing performance transformation services across North America and Europe.

In the latest episode of the PharmaSource podcast, Fabrice shares crucial insights about how pharmaceutical manufacturers can transform their operations by adopting Toyota’s proven approaches to supplier integration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence, including lessons learned during the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing ramp-up.

Don’t miss Fabrice’s talk at CDMO Live 2025: 10 things I’d do differently if leading new fast-track pandemic drug launch again. Download the agenda here

Kolon Biotech's Jungjong Cho believes that the future of cell and gene therapy lies in automation, which offers unprecedented precision and cost efficiencies.

Kolon Biotech is pioneering the use of two innovative technologies that are reshaping manufacturing capabilities:

The 2D Automated Closed Platform represents a quantum leap in manufacturing precision.

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Luiz Barberini combines over three decades of pharmaceutical supply chain expertise from roles at Pfizer, Merck and now Bayer with academic positions at Brazil’s leading business schools. His unique perspective spans both practical implementation and theoretical frameworks for supply chain excellence.

In this exclusive interview with PharmaSource, Luiz shares why pharmaceutical companies must fundamentally transform their approach to supply chain management, offering practical insights on breaking down organisational silos, accelerating time-to-market, and building collaborative supplier relationships in an increasingly complex global landscape.

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The Netherlands has emerged as one of Europe's most vibrant and interconnected biotech ecosystems, home to over 1,797 life science companies, world-class pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the European Medicines Agency.

With its strategic location, exceptional infrastructure, and collaborative spirit, the country has become known as 'what industry leaders call 'Europe's connected life sciences & health metropolis'.

Ahead of CDMO Live 2025, which takes place in Rotterdam's historic World Trade Center this May, we gathered insights from three leaders at the heart of the Netherlands' biotechnology sector. Wieteke Wouters, Program Director at hollandbio, which represents over 260 biotech companies; Esther Peters, Director of Leiden Bio Science Park, the country's largest life sciences hub; and Ellen Smit, Managing Director of Rotterdam Square, the organisation behind the emerging health tech campus in Rotterdam, shared their perspectives on what makes the Dutch biotech ecosystem uniquely successful.

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“The market for lipid nanoparticles really exploded during COVID-19,” says Alexander Aust, LNP manufacturing expert.

Alexander Aust, a consultant specialising in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) manufacturing, brings years of experience from companies like Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals and Exelead. His expertise spans from commercial liposomal drug products to cutting-edge mRNA and gene editing technologies.

In the latest PharmaSource podcast episode, Alexander explains why LNPs have become crucial in drug delivery, particularly for mRNA vaccines, and shares insights on manufacturing challenges, regulatory considerations, and future applications of this technology.

The COVID-19 pandemic didn't just disrupt pharmaceutical manufacturing—it catalysed a fundamental shift in how we approach CDMO partnerships. Johnson & Johnson's Paolo Giudici reveals how their four-year digital transformation journey is reshaping the future of external manufacturing.

Key transformations reshaping sponsor-CDMO relationships:

The critical challenge? Standardisation. Unlike mature industries, pharma lacks unified frameworks for digital CDMO collaboration. "Currently, if a sponsor attempts to establish digital collaboration with a CMO, they essentially start from scratch," notes Giudici.

Strategic implementation insights:

Paolo will be speaking about Digital Transformation of Pharma Manufacturing at CDMO Live 2025. Tickets available now