The Easy Way to Reduce Costs in Drug Manufacturing

In the pharmaceutical industry, expiring patents, changes in regulations and increasing competition are leading to shrinking margins. In addition, the rapid rise of healthcare across the developing world is further hurting drug companies as governments try to contain escalating costs. It is not surprising then that pharmaceutical companies are scrutinizing their expenditures across the value chain.

The benefits of in-line process analytics over periodically measuring grab samples in the laboratory is universally accepted, and pharmaceutical companies gain significantly from the continuous, real-time data, and reduced workload that in-line analytics bring. But what is next? What more can in-line analytics do to cut drug production costs?

The answer is digital technology. Replacing traditional analog sensors with digital instruments opens a wealth of opportunities to reduce measurement point maintenance, moderate training of technicians, and simplify regulatory compliance, all of which result in cost savings. Further, digital technology offers far greater process reliability, helps minimize the occurrence of out-of-spec (OOS) production and human error, and can increase productivity.