Aesica, a U.K.-based global pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has unveiled a new approach and business model that solves multiple supply-chain challenges at once. The company takes on the management of other CDMOs, while serving as the single, central point of customer contact.

The model enables Aesica to reduce the number of CDMOs, which the customer previously had to manage. Moreover, the company can identify which are the most strategically useful and effective CDMOs to engage in projects, significantly enhancing value for money to its contractors.

The industry solution, which streamlines processes and creates a considerably simplified supply chain structure, should reduce the overall number of supplier relationships, while also maintaining a consistent outsourcing approach across an entire portfolio.

Aesica already manages a portfolio of more than 10 different CDMOs and has assigned its own dedicated team responsible for ensuring total process management across an entire supply chain. This includes procurement to manage the relationship, risk assessment and price negotiations between customers, Aesica and the other CDMOs. Moreover, the team is charged with responsibility for quality to manage QC and QA activities and the supply chain to manage the delivery of components, including API for bulk production at the CDMO and then onward delivery to various sites for final processing—for which an Aesica external manufacturing director is appointed to lead.

The model is primarily geared to small and medium sized CDMOs, facing the same price pressures as big pharma, while lacking all the skill sets and resources required for managing multiple CDMOs. It also is suited to companies that have diverse portfolios with affiliates or licensees based across multiple geographic regions.

The process of selecting and reducing the number of CDMOs needed to implement projects requires minimal costs or risk to the customer with very limited tech transfer and regulatory hurdles to contend with.

Aesica is a division of Consort Medical, a global, single-source drug and delivery device CDMO. The Consort Medical Group has facilities in King’s Lynn, Cambridge, Nelson, Milton Keynes, Cramlington, Nottingham, Queenborough and Hemel Hempstead in the U.K.; in Monheim and Zwickau, Germany; and in Pianezza, Italy.