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Several macro trends are currently driving change in the pharmaceutical industry. Ageing populations, rising rates of chronic disease, and the expansion of biologics are increasing demand for advanced drug delivery systems and moisture management solutions. At the same time, the line between consumer products and prescription medications is blurring, placing greater emphasis on usability, patient experience, and product design as key competitive differentiators.
Another defining shift is the growing reliance on outsourcing. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are increasingly partnering with external providers for integrated services spanning early-stage design, development, industrialization, and commercial manufacturing. In this environment, speed, flexibility, and regulatory expertise have become critical advantages. While these changes are global, they are unfolding differently across regions, increasing the need for partners who think globally while acting locally.
Differences between the U.S. and Europe
In the U.S., policy priorities are increasingly focused on domestic manufacturing. Government incentives, tariffs, and investment programs are encouraging companies to reshore critical production capacity. At the same time, healthcare affordability has become a major issue, placing increasing pressure on drug pricing. Moreover, new direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms and programs are emerging, particularly in fast-growing markets such as weight-management therapies. This trend is reshaping supply chains, marketing strategies, and packaging.
Meanwhile, the European Union faces a complex balancing act. Policymakers must maintain access to the U.S. market, tackle price increases for raw materials, ensure regulatory oversight for public health, and protect domestic industries from lower-cost international competitors. These dynamics are extending pricing pressures beyond pharmaceuticals to the broader healthcare supply chain.
A common challenge: finding the right partner
For pharmaceutical companies all over the world, current developments require strategic adaptation. Supply chain resilience is becoming a critical differentiator, with companies adopting nearshoring, dual sourcing, and regionalized production networks to reduce risk and improve agility. Moreover, regulatory expertise has also become a key value driver. Increasing regulatory complexity, such as the EU Medical Devices Regulation and evolving US requirements for specific products, means that partners capable of guiding products from concept through approval are increasingly valuable.
In this environment, growth depends on collaboration and forward-looking investment. Strategic partnerships, targeted acquisitions, and innovation in areas such as wearable injectables, sustainable drug delivery systems, and smart packaging solutions will shape the next generation of healthcare technologies. Companies that anticipate geopolitical and regulatory shifts and align innovation with real-world economic constraints will be best positioned to help bring new medications to patients faster, more safely, and more efficiently.
Sanner – global expertise with local presence
Sanner Group is a worldwide leader in medical device development, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical packaging, trusted for decades of expertise in injection molding and desiccant integration. Following its recent acquisitions of design and development specialists in the U.S. and UK, Sanner delivers fully integrated, single-source CDMO support for pharmaceutical and medtech companies – from design and development to design transfer and global production – across its sites in Europe, North America, and Asia.
This local presence backed by global expertise in packaging development as well as moisture management ensures supply chain resilience and supports manufacturers of drug delivery systems, diagnostics and packaging solutions in bringing their products to the market with precision and reliability. Following the approach “Advance with Agility”, Sanner is the ideal partner for successful pharma and nutraceutical projects all over the world.
Learn more about our Advance with Agility Program™ here.
