“Unique demands of CGT biomanufacturing necessitate an early-stage collaboration between suppliers and biomanufacturers”

A surge in pharmaceutical R&D has led to an increase in the number of Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) candidates being developed. The goal has been to develop cost-effective and efficient cell and gene therapies while focusing on biomanufacturing innovations. It’s now becoming essential to outsource manufacturing services that can leverage innovative cuttingedge biomanufacturing technologies to enhance efficiency and flexibility in CGT. Narayana Rao, Vice President of Biopharma, Asia Pacific MiddleEast Africa at Avantor interacted with BioSpectrum Asia and shared his insights on Asia’s CGT Biomanufacturing ecosystem. Edited excerpts;

Narayana Rao, Vice President of Biopharma, Asia Pacific Middle-East Africa, Avantor

What are your insights into the current state of biopharmaceutical R&D?

The global biopharma market has been and continues to be one of the fastest-growing sectors in the healthcare industry. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Organisations (CMO) market is projected to reach $26.49 billion in 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.6 per cent in the 2021- 2028 period.

In parallel with the evolution of the industry is the growth of the cell and gene therapy (CGT) platform as an avenue of innovation. The emergence and evolution of precision medicine today offers hope for treating previously incurable life-threatening diseases such as cancer. Moreover, the rising prevalence of chronic disorders coupled with an ageing population is expected to fuel the growth of the CGT market to almost $15.5 billion by 2025, further doubling to nearly $34 billion by 2030. This trend suggests that these pharmaceutical companies are increasing their research and development (R&D) efficiencies through persistent investments as well as collaborative research efforts, with hopes to see greater returns on their investment in the long run. The increase in pharmaceutical R&D has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of cell and gene therapy candidates under development. This has made it necessary to outsource manufacturing services to develop cost-effective and efficient cell and gene therapies, while emphasising new biomanufacturing innovations.