Implementing Global Supply Risk Mitigation Through Multi-Sourcing

By David King, Director of Drug Product Operations, Samsung Biologics 

Since the advent of COVID-19, all industries have faced increased business risk associated with unpredictable supply chains. Responsible for developing and manufacturing billions of doses for COVID vaccines and treatments, the pharmaceutical industry in particular has had to overcome supply chain challenges concurrent with heightened demand.

To meet this demand, drug developers and their CDMO partners have helped ensure uninterrupted production using a multi-sourcing strategy. Still, even as the global pandemic recedes, shipping and supply chain issues continue to intensify globally, making multi-vendor sourcing a viable long-term success strategy for biopharmaceutical producers. This is because the risk factors that heavily impacted the supply chain at the genesis of COVID-19 continue to this day.

This article reviews COVID-19's impact on the pharmaceutical sector and how to leverage a CDMO partnership to minimize supply risk, specifically through innovative raw material strategies.