CPHI Milan 2024: Growth and Sustainability in the Pharma Industry

Pharmaceutical Technology® Europe sat with Anil Andrade, vice-president, Global Sales, ACG World, at CPHI Milan. Andrade discussed the changing perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry over the years and the importance of sustainability in pharmaceutical operations. Over the past 10–15 years, ACG has seen global growth in demand, and more so in Europe, North America, and Asia. Andrade also emphasized efforts to achieve sustainability, with the goal of making less of an impact on the environment as is possible.

One of the main reasons for global growth that Andrade sees is the COVID-19 pandemic. “There was more demand than supply. While everyone increased their capacity, customers saw that there were very few reliable suppliers who are there for the long term,” he noted. Another key factor impacting global demand are “the wars going on in different parts of the world,” which, according to Andrade, are causing transportation conflicts. “[S]hipping lanes are being disrupted, and that is … impacting our commitment to our customers,” he said.

In response, ACG has been investing in new capacity expansions in Europe. At a facility the company purchased in Croatia over 10 years ago, for example, the company has invested in infrastructure, technology, systems, and processes over the past five years, and has increased capacity in that plant by almost 80%.

Meanwhile, from a capsule-manufacturing point of view, sustainability is important. “Manufacturing capsules consumes a lot of water, and we have been trying to make our operations more efficient so that they consume less water, less paper, less plastic. In Croatia, as an example, we have reduced the paper consumption by almost 25 tons in a year. Same with plastic, we have reduced the consumption of plastic by 25 tons, and that has related to the benefits that we see going forward,” Andrade explained.

The company’s sustainability efforts also include reducing the amount of organic waste created by its manufacturing process. “The idea is that we want to be as less impactful on the environment as possible,” Andrade stated.

ACG exhibited at CPHI Milan, which took place in Milan, Italy, on Oct. 8–10, 2024.

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About the speaker

Anil Andrade, Vice-President Global Sales, ACG

Anil Andrade is vice-president of global sales at ACG with experience in building and leading a sales organization, managing complex, multi-partner alliances, working directly with key decision makers, CEOs, and owners. As a key member of the leadership team reporting to the CEO and board, he is responsible for creating and executing strategic plans and nurturing strategic business ecosystems globally. He has profit and loss responsibility for multi-site manufacturing, with a focus on deeper market penetration, organic revenue growth, returns on capital, and sustainable competitive advantage. Andrade manages strategic sales initiatives to increase market share in developed and emerging markets through global team building, expansion of global manufacturing, talent management, and organizational culture.