Factors driving CDMO selection for small molecule drug substance

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INTRODUCTION
Persistent pressure to make medicines more affordable is one of the many reasons the practice of outsourcing manufacturing activities and services in the biopharmaceutical industry continues to evolve. Over the past thirty years, outsourcing has advanced from simple client-vendor relationships focused on identifying supply chain inefficiencies, improving operations, and reducing costs—which remain current outsourcing objectives—to true partnerships where accessing technologies and scientific expertise not possessed in house are the focus. Small molecule drug substance has one of the longest outsourcing histories, along with excipients and advanced intermediates, among biopharmaceutical products in part because of their long therapeutic history and relative lack of complexity compared to biologics. Industry Standard Research, a full-service market research company focused on the biopharmaceutical services industry, conducts annual benchmarking research to understand the preferences and practices of outsourcers as well as their experiences with specific CDMOs.