Contract API Manufacturing: The Year in Review

By Patricia van Arnum

The year 2011 was another year of transition for fine-chemical producers and contract manufacturers of APIs and intermediates. As the pharmaceutical industry as a whole deals with slowing growth, increased generic-drug incursion, reduced R&D productivity, and the financing pinch for smaller and emerging bio/pharmaceutical companies, so do its suppliers. Expansion activity among fine-chemical producers and contract API manufacturers was limited although certain areas, such as high-potency manufacturing, continue to attract investment as do biopharmaceutical manufacturing and related services.

This article was also published in our US sister publication Pharmaceutical Technology and can be read here.