A key upcoming industry event is DCAT Week, the flagship event of the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT). DCAT Week brings together pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, contract service providers, suppliers, and other companies supporting pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Through DCAT Week, DCAT provides its members a forum for high-level strategic meetings with key decision-makers, educational programs, and networking opportunities. DCAT Week ’16 will be held March 14-17 in New York.

DCAT is a global business development association composed of more than 400 corporate members located in 50 countries across six continents. It consists of innovator and generic drug manufacturers and suppliers of ingredients, development and manufacturing services, and related technologies. The membership is involved in the full spectrum of the pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain: from raw materials, to intermediates, to both small-molecule and biological active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), formulation development and drug-product manufacturing, packaging, logistics, and related supply-chain services.

Inside DCAT Week

In the unique DCAT Week meeting format, most member companies have pre-scheduled meetings with customers, suppliers, and potential partners in their business meeting suites, where they can conduct business in private. It is not uncommon for companies to schedule more than 70–100 meetings during DCAT Week. Opportunities to schedule impromptu meetings also arise during the week while members attend education programs, and other networking events. The week culminates in the DCAT Annual Dinner, a black-tie affair with more than 2,000 attendees and featuring a leading keynote speaker from business, government or the arts.

The education programs at DCAT Week are an important way for attendees to advance their industry knowledge and gain peer and customer-centric insight. DCAT Week ’16 will have six education programs. Key highlights are outlined below.

• Pharma Industry Outlook: Market Overview, Macro Trends, and the Supply Lines

In this program, Graham Lewis, Vice President, Global Pharma Strategy, IMS Health, provides a data-driven market overview on the current and projected performance of the global pharmaceutical industry. Other speakers will examine the impact of drug pricing and the reimbursement/payer environment on drug development and commercialization strategies as well as examine the immuno-oncology drug market, a rising sector for the pharmaceutical industry.

• Pharmaceutical Outsourcing: The Markets and Supply Strategies for Fine Chemicals, APIs, and Drug Products

Enrico Polastro, Vice President and Senior Industry Specialist, Global Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemicals Practice, Arthur D. Little, will provide a global market overview for fine chemicals and contract small-molecule manufacturing. Jim Miller, President of PharmSource, will offer an in-depth analysis of the contract dose market for solid dosage and sterile drug products. And, Dr. Peter Comes, Corporate Vice President, Supply Network Strategy, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Michael Boyson, Senior Director, Head of Oncology and Biologics Supply, Global Manufacturing and Supply, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, will share their companies’ approach to pharmaceutical outsourcing.

• Evolving Business Models and Partnership Strategies for Drug Development Challenges

A crucial issue for pharmaceutical companies is how they partner with raw material suppliers, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). This program provides insight into insourcing/outsourcing decisions and how suppliers are successfully differentiating themselves. Among the speakers are Nancy Barbour, PhD, Vice President, Drug Product Science & Technology, Bristol-Myers Squibb, who will provide insight into the company’s fit-for-purpose model for pharmaceutical development.

• GDUFA II and GMP API Inspection Trends: The Business Impact of Upcoming Regulatory Changes

This program will examine the business impact of recent and upcoming US and EU regulatory changes impacting API manufacturing and supplier best practices. It will also examine an important regulatory issue for the generic drug industry and suppliers to that industry: the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA). GDUFA, passed in the US in 2012, set requirements for user fees to supplement the costs of reviewing generic drug applications and inspecting facilities as well as sought to advance risk-based inspections. GDUFA is set for reauthorization in September 2017, and leading industry experts will examine the key issues under consideration.

• Transformational Sourcing: Innovation in Sourcing, Supplier Practices, and Risk Management

Sourcing, procurement, and supply management executives are faced with continuing demands for cost reductions and efficiency while ensuring a secure, reliable, and high-quality supply of pharmaceutical ingredients, finished drug products, and related components. Executives from Amgen, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche/Genentech, and BioMarin Pharmaceutical will share best practices in managing an increasingly complex global manufacturing and supply chain.

• Biopharmaceutical Forum: Global Biomanufacturing Trends, Capacity, and Technology Drivers

The increase in biologic-based drug development is impacting supply strategies. This program will feature industry experts providing biomanufacturing overviews on capacity utilization and technologies impacting upstream and downstream bioprocessing. Also, executives from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Baxalta will provide insight on biologics supply strategies.

DCAT Week ’16 will also feature the DCAT Business Builder sessions, which provides DCAT member companies with practical ways and tools to enhance their professional skills in areas such as negotiations, team building, and managing business relationships. New this year is the Member Company Announcement Forum in which DCAT registered member companies can announce major company news, including key strategy developments, mergers and acquisitions, and expansions.

Beyond DCAT Week

Although the industry has come to know DCAT through DCAT Week, the association works year-round to provide its members a range of informational services. These include DCAT Value Chain Insights (VCI), a weekly information resource focused on pharmaceutical manufacturing, sourcing, procurement and supply management, which, for 2016, further includes dedicated coverage of European markets and issues. Top Industry News is DCAT’s weekly newsletter to highlight the top ten news stories each week. DCAT also organizes webinars, bringing an interactive way to learn from leading industry experts.

Also this year, DCAT will roll out DCAT Benchmarking, a new member service that provides in-depth studies of best practices and key metrics for companies engaged in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. The results of the first study, Value Creation in Pharmaceutical Procurement, will be available in the first quarter 2016.