Mike Hennessy Jr. is the Chairman and CEO of 

Mike Hennessy Jr.

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Each new chapter in pharmaceutical innovation underscores a simple truth: the path from molecule to medicine is never linear. Scientific discovery, technological evolution, and market demands constantly reshape the landscape, requiring both agility and vision from every stakeholder. This issue of 

 captures the state of that journey, one that is as much about mastering fundamentals as it is about embracing new tools and approaches. Our cover story, “The Evolving Science Behind Formulation Development,” explores strategies across the drug product lifecycle. Vaibhav Sihorkar, PhD, of Aragen Life Sciences, offers insights into problem solving, the role of digital tools, and how geopolitical change is influencing formulation decisions from a CRDMO’s perspective. The complex area of drug formulation is further explored in “Personalized and Patient-Centric Administration of Oral Medicines,” which highlights how individualized therapies are moving forward despite the challenges of scalability and regulation.

On the business front, Ana Ali of RCK Partners provides a perspective on R&D tax relief in the United Kingdom, and Cheryl Barton, PharmaVision, hightlights the companies entering the metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis arena.

Ensuring product quality remains at the forefront. This issue’s European Regulatory Watch details Europe’s strategy to become an attractive location for life sciences innovation, and the Ask the Expert feature outlines best practices for implementing contamination control strategies.

On the manufacturing front, “Keys to Navigating the Complex Drug Supply Chain” shows how digital tools help manufacturers adapt to ongoing global volatility.

As a whole, this issue reveals an industry strengthening its foundation while embracing innovation. Success now demands not just advanced tools and processes, but collaboration, resilience, and a focus on improving outcomes for patients worldwide.

Mike Hennessy Jr is Chairman and CEO of MJH Life Sciences®.

Articles

Pharmaceutical innovation is a complex journey shaped by scientific, technological, and market dynamics. Stakeholders must balance mastering fundamentals with adopting new tools and approaches. Insights from Aragen Life Sciences highlight the impact of digital tools and geopolitical changes on formulation decisions. Personalized therapies face scalability and regulatory challenges. R&D tax relief and new entrants in the metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis field are discussed. Europe's strategy for life sciences innovation and best practices for contamination control are outlined. Digital tools aid manufacturers in navigating the volatile drug supply chain.

Success depends on collaboration, resilience, and a focus on improving outcomes for patients worldwide.

Resilience and Precision in Pharma Development

The pharmaceutical industry is in a period of rapid transformation, driven by scientific innovation, regulatory expectations, and the increasing complexity of therapies. This issue highlights the most pressing trends shaping the sector and the strategies that organizations are adopting to stay competitive.

In our cover story, Susan Haigney explores innovative approaches to bioanalysis, in which automation and novel methodologies are expanding capabilities for faster and more reliable results. As the complexity of drug modalities increases, bioanalytical innovation is no longer optional; it is essential for ensuring product safety, regulatory compliance, and development speed.

Equally critical is formulation development. Cynthia Challener examines how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being applied to predictive modeling for small molecules, where drug candidates present formidable challenges in molecular complexity and delivery.

Advances in digitalization and automation of aseptic processing are helping organizations address the growing diversity of injectable drug products. Streamlined, technology-enabled approaches are reducing human intervention, improving sterility assurance, and enhancing scalability.

This issue also delves into mechanistic modeling of renal clearance, with Akanksha Prasad providing insights into optimizing dosing strategies for elderly patients. As patient populations age, this type of research is vital to balancing efficacy with safety in clinical care.

Data integration and digital transformation remain central to the industry’s progress. Jennifer Markarian highlights how better use of process data, enhanced by AI and advanced analytics, is enabling smarter process control and more connected manufacturing systems.

Patrick Lavery examines FDA’s push for greater quality, integrity, and uniformity, particularly in the context of advanced manufacturing and batch control. Our Ask the Expert section takes a look at the importance of real-world evidence used in pharmacovigilance.

As these articles show, the future of pharma lies in a careful balance: adopting cutting-edge technologies while upholding rigorous standards of quality and safety. The organizations that succeed will be those that embrace innovation while keeping patients at the center of every decision.

When referring to this article, please cite it as Hennessy, M. From Discovery to Delivery: Evolving Practices in Pharma. 

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing rapid transformation due to scientific innovation, regulatory demands, and complex therapies. Key trends include bioanalytical advancements, AI in formulation development, and digitalization in aseptic processing. These innovations are crucial for ensuring safety, compliance, and efficiency. Mechanistic modeling is optimizing dosing for aging populations, while data integration enhances process control. The FDA emphasizes quality and uniformity in advanced manufacturing. Success in the industry hinges on adopting new technologies while maintaining high standards of quality and patient-centered care.

This issue showcases strategies that organizations are adopting to stay competitive as pressing industry trends shape the sector.

From Discovery to Delivery: Evolving Practices in Pharma

® captures the state of that journey, one that is as much about mastering fundamentals as it is about embracing new tools and approaches.

Our cover story, “The Evolving Science Behind Formulation Development,” explores strategies across the drug product lifecycle. Vaibhav Sihorkar, PhD, of Aragen Life Sciences, offers insights into problem solving, the role of digital tools, and how geopolitical change is influencing formulation decisions from a CRDMO’s perspective. The complex area of drug formulation is further explored in Cynthia Challener’s “Personalized and Patient-Centric Administration of Oral Medicines,” which highlights how individualized therapies are moving forward despite the challenges of scalability and regulation.

Ensuring product quality remains at the forefront. In our Ask the Expert feature, Michelle Heiter and Susan J. Schniepp outline best practices for implementing contamination control strategies that safeguard patient safety and regulatory compliance. Meanwhile, the Pharma Fundamentals article by Evonne Brennan reinforces the essential skills professionals need to thrive in this rapidly changing field.

At the critical stage of technology transfer, “Emerging Tools, Integrated Controls Impact Tech Transfer” highlights how smarter systems can streamline the transition from lab to production. In advanced therapies, “Optimizing Testing in Cell and Gene Therapy” underscores the need for agile, compliant testing methods that can keep pace with accelerated development timelines. On the manufacturing front, Susan Haigney’s “Keys to Navigating the Complex Drug Supply Chain” shows how digital tools help manufacturers adapt to ongoing global volatility.

When referring to this article, please cite it has Hennessy, M. Building Resilience and Precision in Pharma Development. 

Pharmaceutical innovation is a complex journey shaped by scientific discovery, technological evolution, and market demands. This issue examines the evolving science of formulation development, emphasizing problem-solving, digital tools, and geopolitical influences. Personalized oral medicines face scalability and regulatory challenges. Contamination control strategies are crucial for product quality and regulatory compliance. Technology transfer benefits from integrated controls, while cell and gene therapy testing requires agile methods. Digital tools aid in navigating the drug supply chain amid global volatility. Success in the industry hinges on collaboration, resilience, and patient outcome improvement.

Scientific discovery, technological evolution, and market demands are constantly reshaping the landscape.

Building Resilience and Precision in Pharma Development

As you read this note, pharmaceutical development and manufacturing are being redefined by collaboration, innovation, and the urgent need for agility. The throughline across this issue of 

® is unmistakable: success now depends on integration of systems, data, partnerships, and people.

Our cover story, “Customizable Relationships Enhance Speed to Market,” underscores this reality. As drug modalities become more complex, sponsor companies and CDMOs are moving away from traditional, transactional relationships. The new model is one of shared risk and long-term collaboration, driven by mutual investment in speed, quality, and innovation.

This spirit of innovation is reflected in the development space, where ocular drug delivery continues to challenge formulation scientists. As Cynthia Challener reports in “Advanced Solutions for Sustained Delivery of Ocular Therapies,” sustained-release technologies for eye care are gaining traction, improving compliance and outcomes in an area in which frequent dosing has long been a barrier.

“In-line UV Spectrometry Monitoring in Cleaning Validation” offers a timely look at how Pharma 4.0 principles are reshaping validation. The integration of in-line analytical tools enables real-time monitoring, greater data reliability, and stronger alignment with quality-by-design and digital manufacturing goals.

On the analytics front, “Overcoming PK/PD Modeling Challenges” explores how AI and machine learning are transforming PK/PD modeling. These tools enable faster, more accurate predictions of drug behavior, helping teams avoid costly delays and unnecessary experimentation.

We also examine the realities of small-batch fill/finish operations, including the technologies and process solutions emerging to meet the demands of low-volume, high-value production.

Finally, in “ICH Q12 and Post-Approval Changes,” Siegfried Schmitt sheds light on why streamlined post-approval change management remains elusive, and why it’s crucial for maintaining supply resilience.

Taken together, these articles offer a clear view of where pharmaceutical manufacturing is headed: toward smarter tools, deeper partnerships, and a renewed focus on compliance and quality at every stage of the product lifecycle.

®
Vol. 49, No. 6
July/August 2025
Page: 8

When referring to this article, please cite it as Hennessy, M. The Future of Pharma: Connected, Continuous, and Compliant. 

Pharmaceutical development and manufacturing are evolving through collaboration, innovation, and agility. Success now hinges on integrating systems, data, partnerships, and people. The shift from traditional, transactional relationships to shared risk and long-term collaboration is crucial, especially as drug modalities grow more complex. Innovations in ocular drug delivery, in-line UV spectrometry for cleaning validation, and AI-driven PK/PD modeling are reshaping the industry. Small-batch fill/finish operations and streamlined post-approval change management are also critical for maintaining supply resilience and ensuring quality throughout the product lifecycle.

Pharma manufacturing is headed toward smarter tools, deeper partnerships, and a renewed focus on compliance and quality at every stage of the product lifecycle.

The Future of Pharma: Connected, Continuous, and Compliant

Progress in biopharmaceutical science is happening at a pace that challenges even the most seasoned professionals to keep up. This issue of Pharmaceutical Technology® brings that momentum into sharp focus, offering readers a roadmap through scientific breakthroughs, operational innovation, and the cultural shifts required to deliver tomorrow’s medicines.

Our cover story, “Advancements in Biopharma Spur Industry-Wide Innovation,” looks at how messenger RNA platforms, cell and gene therapy pipelines, multispecific antibodies, and extracellular vesicle therapeutics are reshaping the commercial landscape. Thought leaders predict a future in which no single modality dominates; instead, diverse targeted options will coexist, forcing manufacturing and regulatory models to evolve quickly.

Building on that science, the Development feature, “Achieving Targeted Delivery with Nanoscale Systems,” details how lipid, polymeric, and biomimetic nanocarriers are boosting bioavailability and enabling combination therapies.

Downstream on the factory floor, our Manufacturing Q&A with ACG Packaging Materials’ Sheikh Akbar Ali, PhD, illustrates how digital printing techniques, solvent-free adhesives, and advancements in single-use packaging are helping manufacturers meet productivity goals and prioritize sustainability.

As always, quality and compliance remain front and center. Our Pharma Fundamentals feature, “ICH Q6B for Analytics” translates the quarter-century-old guideline into today’s high-resolution mass spectrometry workflows, clarifying expectations for primary sequence confirmation, glycan profiling, and disulfide mapping. Meanwhile, the Outsourcing feature delves into how artificial intelligence and “hybrid” contract and development organzanizations are redefining sponsor relationships amid geopolitical supply chain pressures.

This issue’s Ask the Expert series dives into the PDA/ANSI Standard 06-2025, offering practical advice for embedding leadership accountability, employee engagement, and technical excellence into an enterprise-wide quality culture.

Together, these articles underscore a central message: success in 2025 demands not only cutting-edge science, but agile operations and a values-driven culture that keeps quality at its core.

When referring to this article, please cite it as Hennessy, M. Driving Advancement Through Scientific and Operational Innovation. 

Scientific breakthroughs, operational innovation, and cultural shifts are driving tomorrow’s medicines.

Driving Advancement Through Scientific and Operational Innovation 

As the pharmaceutical industry moves through a new era of complexity and precision, one truth remains constant: the foundation of every successful therapy is built on quality, consistency, and thoughtful innovation. From raw materials to regulatory harmonization, every link in the supply chain plays a critical role in ensuring that medicines reach patients safely and efficiently.

In this issue’s cover story, “Poor API Quality Threatens a Healthy Supply,” we highlight a pressing vulnerability in the supply chain. As global demand grows and supply networks stretch across borders, even minor lapses in API quality can ripple into major disruptions—slowing production, triggering shortages, and ultimately impacting patient care. Ensuring API integrity is no longer just a manufacturing concern; it’s a business-critical priority.

Product formulation is another key decision point in development. In “Parenteral Formulation: Deciding When to Go Frozen or Freeze-Dried,” we explore how technical performance, cost, and logistics influence formulation strategies. Whether opting for frozen storage or lyophilization, the choice has long-term implications for stability, transport, and scalability.

As in previous issues, sustainability continues to be a recurring and essential theme. “Sustainability by Design” reviews a renewed focus on how early integration of green practices into process development can optimize performance and long-term viability.

We also turn our attention to cleanroom practices, as “Evolving Cleanroom Procedures and Sterility Challenges” outlines how the rise of personalized and small-batch therapies is pushing the boundaries of existing protocols. In a world where every patient may receive a unique formulation, traditional sterility approaches must adapt.

Meanwhile, the future of pharma workforce development takes center stage in “Authentic Intelligence: Finding Diverse Talent in the AI Age.” The industry is at a crossroads—embracing AI while also addressing longstanding gaps in workforce diversity and retention.

Finally, our Ask the Expert column compares European vs. US GMPs, reinforcing the importance of navigating regional nuances even in an increasingly globalized landscape.

Collectively, this issue captures a pharmaceutical sector focused on strengthening its foundation, embracing innovation, and future-proofing its path forward.

Mike Hennessy Jr is president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences®.

When referring to this article, please cite it as Hennessy, M. Quality, Resilience, and Reinvention in Pharma Manufacturing. 

The pharma industry is focused on strengthening its foundation, embracing innovation, and future-proofing its path forward.