8 out of 10 pharmaceutical companies say developing Covid tests and vaccines has impacted their development pipeline

8 out of 10 pharmaceutical companies say developing Covid tests and vaccines has impacted their development pipeline 

LONDON 23^rd February 2023 

Investment in developing Covid tests and vaccines has affected 80% of pharmaceutical companies’ non-covid development pipeline, according to a new survey of 100 senior pharmaceutical executives.  

Only 20% of those who responded to the survey, conducted by LogiPharma - the world’s leading annual conference covering pharmaceutical and medical device supply chains - said their pipeline ‘had not been impacted at all’.  

David Ruiz, Global Head of Customer Integration at leading global pharmaceutical company Merck & Co says:  

“The Covid crisis was a resilience test for the continuity of clinical trials for our entire portfolio; interrupting those studies would have meant significant delays in launching life-saving products for our patients.  

“In parallel, we had to ensure all critical non-covid treatments (oncology, diabetes, and many others) were uninterrupted, which was a logistical challenge due to the situation at hospitals. 

“Looking back, we did a great job in protecting those key supply chains, thanks to a resilient network, and a fantastic team behind us.” 

Furthermore, the survey reveals that consumer behaviours and preferences for getting their medications has been influenced by the Covid pandemic.  

70% of those surveyed said they are seeing a trend towards more online healthcare consulting, prescribing and delivery of drugs to consumers while only 30% said they were not impacted by the pandemic in terms of how they market and distribute their products. 

Will Robinson, Conference Director, LogiPharma 2023, says: 

“Direct-to-patient supply chain development saw a significant leap during Covid and set a precedent for patients' expectations around service levels. Though the legislative landscape is still a highly complex one in the European space, there are significant advancements being seen across the industry in the role of eCommerce and its impact on supply chains.  

The producers (particularly those with large over-the-counter portfolios) who are preparing their supply chains to adopt to online fulfilment, will be well placed for success in the future.”