The future of pharma is here: How digital technologies are transforming drug development and manufacturing

The First Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of the age of modern manufacturing. Ever since, manufacturing has been continually made more efficient, faster and automated. 

But it came at a cost. 

Despite the benefits of many products, especially in health and medicine, industrial processes have dealt unprecedented, perhaps irrevocable, damage to human and planetary health. Industrial production has put a strain on natural resources like water and released vast quantities of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the air. The mass production of medicines, meanwhile, has inadvertently created antimicrobial-resistant viruses. 

We now stand on the cusp of a new industrial revolution. One that will integrate people and technology to produce customised products for individuals with diverse needs, sustainably and within planetary health boundaries. In this blog, we explore how ​“Industry 5.0” will transform pharma and what it will take to get there. 

The evolution of industry

Humans have been making things since the dawn of civilisation, but it wasn’t until around the middle of the 18th century that production became mechanised, paving the way for mass production. 

We can label the First Industrial Revolution as Industry 1.0. This was the dawn of mechanised production, when steam and water engines replaced manual labour. From start to finish the revolution took around 100 years. The 19th century (Industry 2.0) saw electricity and assembly lines revolutionise manufacturing, enabling mass production. The 20th century (Industry 3.0) brought electronics and automation with the rise of computers and robots. 

Today (Industry 4.0), we’re in an era of unprecedented technological advancement, with the merging of the digital, physical and biological spheres through technologies like the Internet of Things. The future (Industry 5.0) is expected to see humans working alongside advanced technologies like AI, with an emphasis on environmental and social sustainability. 

Industry 5.0 and pharma

We are still striving to complete the full integration of industry 4.0, a concept that is around 10 years old. But with technology evolving at an exponential rate, sights are already set on the next industrial revolution.

Industry 5.0, built on the foundations of Industry 4.0, is about reconciling humans and machines to improve production means and efficiency. Collaboration takes centre stage. This is ever more important in a pharmaceutical industry that will have to cater to the surge in personalised medicines and the increasingly complex needs of patients. 

Digital technology will be at the heart of the revolution. Pharma is undergoing a transformation into smart spaces that use machine learning and deep learning, which underpin technologies like smart computing, cognitive computing, digital twins and AI.

Data sharing and collaboration is enabled by a set of pre-defined rules and practices that govern how data is handled across the industry, known as standardised data architectures. They provide consistency, security, and efficiency throughout the entire data lifecycle, from collection to analysis. 

These technologies can ensure the flow of a diverse range of medicines through continuous manufacturing, which is faster and more efficient than wasteful large-batch manufacturing. This agile, flexible manufacturing process will make pharma more resilient to changes in demand and reduce costs for the benefit of patients. 

The industry will also operate more environmentally sustainably with regards to the planetary boundaries, through responsible use of raw materials, digital-first design experiments and testing, as well as the use of low-carbon energy and supply networks. 

How CPI is advancing the future of pharma

CPI is embracing this journey and helping to drive the future of pharma manufacturing towards Industry 5.0; a future which is more sustainable and has less environmental impact.

We’re doing this by taking on several grand challenges, facilitated by breakthrough technologies like machine learning models and digital twin test-beds. 

The first of these is transforming tablet production. By developing a novel, digitally twinned continuous direct compression (CDC) platform, we can shift oral solid dose formulation, development and manufacture to a continuous minibatch manufacturing controlled by smart bioprocessing. This is less energy-intensive than traditional batch methods, as well as easier to develop and scale using lower quantities of active ingredients. It also reduces manufacturing costs and allows the use of smaller facilities. 

In the second, we’re delivering automated just-in-time clinical supply, which replaces the batch manufacturing and stockpiling of the current ​‘just-in-case’ manufacturing approach. As shown by the COVID-19 pandemic, pharma needs to be able to respond to peaks in demand for unexpected or new health events. Creating a more agile and responsive supply chain enables manufacturing plants respond to demand and supply in real-time. 

Recognising that digital transformation is at the heart of Industry 5.0, these are bound together by our digital grand challenge to create the digital pharma factory of the future. The data generated at CPI will be shared through the Innovate UK Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute, facilitating collaboration and helping the industry grow and adapt. 

They come together at our Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, a hub that is designed with state-of-the-art facilities, including smart, connected technologies such as machine learning, AI, and robotics, to embrace the transformation to Pharma 5.0

Industry 5.0 will enable us to accelerate the delivery of affordable drugs and greater access to life-changing therapies for patients in need. Unlike the waves of development that came before it, this transformation will do so with sustainability as a top priority, living within our planet’s means. 

Interested in shaping the next digital transformation in pharma? Contact our experts.