Making Smart Decisions and Investments in Trained Staff Key to 2026 Success
Raj Puri, chief commercial officer of Argonaut Manufacturing, warns that U.S. tariffs will keep pressuring pharma manufacturers in 2026, extending costs and timelines for new or upgraded facilities. He highlights that large capital projects face uncertainty in a volatile geopolitical climate, potentially disrupting supply‑demand dynamics. Puri also stresses that skilled, cross‑functional staff are the true differentiator for midsize CDMOs, enabling faster learning and operational resilience. Argonaut aims to attract talent by offering dynamic, multi‑disciplinary roles rather than competing solely on compensation.
Quick Execution with Operational Integrity
Meri Beckwith, Co‑CEO of Lindus Health, outlines how 2025 trends will shape pharma in 2026. AI moved from experimental to strategic, accelerating trial design, site selection and patient matching. Decentralized trial models combined with real‑world data enable nationwide recruitment and...
FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific Becomes FUJIFILM Biosciences
FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific rebranded as FUJIFILM Biosciences on Jan. 1, 2026, aligning its name with a 55‑year legacy in cell‑culture media and bioprocessing. The change underscores the unit’s shift toward biologics manufacturing and CDMO services. Recent strategic moves include a $3 billion, 10‑year...
Advancing Pharmaceutical Quality Through Integrated Digital Systems and Collaborative Scientific Innovation
Saharsh Davuluri of Neuland Labs outlines a digital overhaul of API manufacturing, leveraging AI tools such as Merck’s Synthia and automated parallel synthesizers to design scalable processes. He envisions a fully paperless plant where electronic batch records feed directly into...
Multi-Compendial Compliance for Pharmaceutical Excipients–Part 2: A Detailed Assessment for Specification Equivalence
The article presents a technical assessment of compendial tests across the European Pharmacopoeia, USP‑NF, and Japanese Pharmacopoeia to establish specification equivalence for pharmaceutical excipients. It recommends standardizing on the Ph. Eur. method for most tests, applying the tightest acceptance criteria, and...
Industry Outlook 2026: Success Through Top Talent, AI Utilization, and Sustainability
Ardena US managing director Ian Bilodeau says AI is reshaping pharma by linking fragmented data and speeding product decisions. He also emphasizes that attracting and developing top talent requires challenging, impact‑focused work environments. Sustainability, highlighted by Ardena’s EcoVadis certification, is...
The Evolution of Data-First Regulatory Operations
Remco Munnik of Arcana Life Sciences says European regulators are cementing a data‑first approach, with the EMA’s electronic product database and digital submission forms becoming standard. The pharma sector is eager to embed AI for document automation and quality oversight,...
Double Cone Tumble Blender Provides Homogeneity in Heavy-Duty Applications
Charles Ross & Son introduced the DCB-5 Double Cone Tumble Blender, a five‑cubic‑foot unit designed for high‑density powder processing. The machine combines a stainless‑steel jacket, a 2 HP intensifier bar, and an integrated vacuum system to deliver repeatable homogeneity and simultaneous...
From AI to Smart Factories: How Pharma Is Preparing for 2026
Manish Garg of Hikma Pharmaceuticals highlighted how AI, personalized medicine, and smart manufacturing reshaped pharma in 2025 and set the agenda for 2026. AI accelerated drug discovery and clinical design, while niche, high‑value therapies gained prominence. Companies are regionalizing supply...
HITL and HOTL: An Air Traffic Control Analogy for Agentic AI
ArisGlobal’s senior VP Jason Bryant argues that both human‑in‑the‑loop (HITL) and human‑on‑the‑loop (HOTL) remain essential for deploying agentic AI in pharma. He uses an air‑traffic‑control analogy, portraying AI agents as aircraft and the orchestration layer as air‑traffic management. Bryant stresses...
Industry Outlook 2026: The Impact of Novel Therapies
In 2025 the pharmaceutical sector saw a surge of novel therapies, notably next‑generation biologics such as bispecifics, fusion proteins, multi‑specifics, and a wave of antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs). A breakthrough sub‑category, antibody‑oligo conjugates (AOCs), gained traction for muscular dystrophy, highlighted by...
Full Autonomy Is a ‘No-Go Zone’: Setting Parameters for Agentic AI in Pharma
ArisGlobal senior VP Jason Bryant explains that full autonomy for AI agents is off‑limits in pharmacovigilance, citing ethical and legal concerns. Instead, he advocates bounded autonomy managed by an orchestrator that can hand control to humans when needed. The discussion...
Navigating Digitalization, QRM Maturity, and Global Compliance Convergence Into 2026
Henrik Johanning of Epista Life Sciences outlines the European regulatory and manufacturing roadmap for 2026, emphasizing the operationalisation of modern quality risk management (QRM) and the need for tangible upgrades to meet EU GMP Annex 1 requirements. He highlights rising digital...
The Top 10 PharmTech Videos of 2025
The PharmTech roundup reviews the ten most‑watched videos of 2025, revealing a industry pivot toward complex modalities such as AAV‑based gene therapies, high‑concentration biologics, and radiopharmaceuticals. Across the series, manufacturers stress the "CGT 2.0" model—flexible, automated, data‑driven production—to overcome scale‑up bottlenecks....
