Life Sciences

Within the Life science sector big pharma companies are facing increased pressure from regulators, competitors and patients on costs and efficiency across the entire value chain including R&D. At the same time new technologies and new companies such as bio-tech, diagnostics and Life Science service providers are emerging in the market and are changing the operating model across the industry.

Slow recovery in the US economy coupled with the financial crisis in the Eurozone has significantly impacted businesses worldwide. The last year has seen patents expiring on some of the world’s biggest selling medicines, including Lipitor. Many more will go off patent in 2012 leaving the path open for generics to take over.

With the prospect of further patent expirations, severe austerity measures and unproductive pipelines, drug companies are reconfiguring their research and development operations. Many have joined the shift to open innovation and strategic partnerships, while others are co-founding start-ups to get access to the assets early on, in efforts to find new drug candidates and rebuild pipelines.

While Emerging Markets and a changing population, expanding government healthcare coverage, aging populations, a growing prevalence of chronic diseases and an emerging middle class, have led to a combination of public and private ability to spend on healthcare. This in turn has led to considerable growth opportunities – particularly for the medical devices sector, with new and some old remaining industry specific challenges:

• Pressure of managed care providers


• Industry has entered a period of lower returns


• New medicine and diagnostic is changing the face of big-pharma


• Pressure from generic companies


• Increasing validation and financial regulations

Pharmaceutical, Generics, Medical Devices and Bio-Techs are impacting each other and substantially changing and merging their operating models. Efficiency in R&D, New Supply Chain Models, Virtual Enterprise Networks and increasing compliance requirements in a period of lower returns is changing the face of the industry.

In addition to our core services we have developed industry specific capabilities:

• R&D Efficiency through Clinical Trial Supply Management
  Optimizing and integrating the supply chain processes in development, SAP-certified add-on solution to fully cover CTSM


• Supply Chain Optimization
  Operating model definition through full process transformation in Strategic planning, Supply chain execution and Supply chain collaboration


• Supply Chain Collaboration
  Definition and implementation of 3PL/4PL strategy, seamless integration of the logistics provider into the supply chain


• Externalization through Contract Manufacturing
  Defining and implementing CMO strategy, seamless integration of the CMO into the supply chain network


• Quality Management and Lab Excellence
  LIMS strategy, LIMS process optimization and automation, including full integration into the supply chain; implementing SAP QM as the enterprise LIMS system


• Product Security
  Risk framework ensuring benefits beyond compliance and covering all aspects, including anti-counterfeiting, externalization, end-to-end product tracking and transport management


• CRM/Vistex
  Customer segmentation and distribution management, co-marketing and alliance strategy, and integrated information management from marketing to drug development