PharmTech Weekly Roundup - February 6, 2026

In this PharmTech video feature, I highlight the week’s industry news in an easy-to-consume format. New roundups drop every Friday, so be sure to come back each week.

We begin with industrialization. Fabian Gerlinghaus of Cellares explained to us how their integrated development and manufacturing organization, or IDMO, model can reduce labor and facility requirements for cell therapies by 90%.

This push for efficiency is mirrored at ACG’s Shirwal, India site, the first packaging facility in the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network, where digital twins and AI have slashed defects by 71%.

On the sustainability front, Anthony Lakavage from USP told us that Pharma 5.0 is integrating digital systems for real-time quality adjustments to limit resource use. He noted that harmonizing global standards is essential to reducing the industry's total environmental footprint.

In drug discovery, Walid Kamoun and Alex Philippidis discussed in Episode 32 of Behind The Headlines how AI has moved from "FOMO" to practical ROI, exemplified by the $1 billion NVIDIA-Eli Lilly co-innovation lab.

In our latest Drug Digest, Daniel Delubac of iOrganBio told us that strategic outsourcing allows sponsors to link together the best technologies, reducing the risk of clinical failure.

Collaboration is also driving cardiovascular R&D. This week, BMS and J&J introduced the "Change the Target. Change What’s Possible" initiative, which focuses on preventing blood clots while preserving healthy clotting.

Regulatory pathways are becoming more collaborative and localized. On Sunday, FDA launched the PreCheck Pilot Program to encourage domestic onshoring by providing regulatory predictability for US-based sites.

Globally, the supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, for AstraZeneca’s Datroway was granted priority review for the first-line treatment of metastatic triple negative breast cancer. The sBLA is being reviewed under Project Orbis, an international framework that allows for the concurrent submission and review of oncology medicines among participating global partners.

In Europe, the CHMP recommended Kayshild for MASH and Kygevvi for rare TK2 deficiency among six new and nine indication extension recommendations.

Finally, in recognition of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, we spoke with several women leaders in the industry. Elisabeth Gardiner of Tevard Biosciences told us that while interest in STEM is rising, women hold only 20% to 30% of pharma STEM roles, citing a "confidence paradox" that requires early, hands-on mentorship to fix. Stacy Lindborg of IMUNON, emphasized a "servant leadership" style as she advances a novel DNA-based immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. Similarly, Katy MacLellan of Symbiosis noted that visibility in leadership is crucial for inspiring the next generation of women in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

From automated "Lighthouse" factories to the economics of rare diseases, the theme this week is clear: innovation requires not just new science, but the structural and human frameworks to support it.

Come back next Friday for another PharmTech Weekly Roundup!