A Panel Discussion: Improving Biomanufacturing Resilience In An Uncertain Future

When the coronavirus pandemic began, there were limited plans in place to develop products at the pace needed to combat a rapidly spreading virus. Instead, an all-hands-on-deck approach ensued, with a historical convergence of private and public entities to develop new vaccines and therapies targeting coronavirus infections. Given the accomplishments of these public/private partnerships (PPPs) over the last two years, an important part of maintaining the momentum is taking a closer look at what needs to be done to facilitate future PPPs. Specifically, how does a biopharma company reconcile the short-term opportunity that a public health emergency presents with managing the existing mission of their business? And how can they leverage public resources to enable those efforts?

And although funding is a critical component of developing innovative products, getting them to the general public and patients who need them is a major bottleneck that has continued to narrow since the onset of the pandemic. Efforts to address the vulnerabilities exposed by COVID-19 could create a more robust infrastructure and supply chain for pandemic response. However, the question of what can and should the biopharma industry do to strengthen its performance and provide better outcomes to patients still needs to be addressed.

To discuss these questions and more, an interactive panel discussion titled The Next Pandemic: Biopharma's Opportunities and Obligations brought together three experts involved in daily decisions and deals with private investors, public health officials, and academics that will directly impact the way innovative biopharma companies respond to public health emergencies moving forward. Hosted by Bioprocess Online, the conversation focused on the role and value of these collaborations as well as what strategies biomanufacturers can use to help improve resilience in an unpredictable but promising future. Download the full article to find out what insights they offered and what solutions they believe can help pharma make its post-pandemic transition.