A contract development manufacturing company (CDMO) is an organisation within the Pharmaceutical or Biotech sector that provides drug development & manufacturing services for their clients on a contract basis.
It involves the parent organisation outsourcing the research, development and manufacturing of the drug. The current CDMO market is in both small and large molecules, it is worth an estimated $70 Billion and is going from strength to strength, with forecasted value in 2027 at $122 billion. There are different types of CDMO; some offer full services from inception to finished vial and others only partner at specific stages of drug development. For example, CMO’s focus purely on Drug Product whereas some CDMO’s put a large amount of emphasis on research and development before offering Drug Substance manufacturing. Pharmaceuticals and Biotech’s can also issue a contract at any stage of drug development, be it discovery, or Ph I/II manufacturing, or purely commercial batch.
As a head-hunter within the CDMO space, my job involves connecting the most attractive organisations in the industry with the highest performing professionals, along with constant networking and building long term relationships across the globe. After extensive conversations with industry experts over the past year, I’ve noticed three key benefits of partnering with a CDMO.
State of the Art Technology & Equipment:
Pharmaceutical companies face tough decisions on whether they want to expand their capabilities which usually takes time, costs huge amounts and this also comes with massive risk. Outsourcing to a CDMO takes all of these risks out of the equation.
Scalability:
CDMO’s are very well known for their capability in helping pharmaceutical companies scale, whether that involves the volume of production or potentially even drug variation. Outsourcing also gives Pharma companies the opportunity to partner, no matter how large or small.
Expertise/Excellence:
The expertise and insane amount of highly skilled staff you’ll find in a CDMO is astonishing. CDMO’s invest in their staff massively and usually have top qualified chemists, engineers, R&D professionals and researchers as well as manufacturing staff.
Despite the clear advantage, it is important to understand whether a CDMO can provide the service you are looking for. There are a few things to consider, area’s of expertise, size of project, expectation, cost and overall feasibility based on your requirements. Along with this, a name in the market and track record will allow for an informed decision that brings your drug to the patient in the shortest space of time.