Peter Bullard, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing at NovaCina, recently shared insights into the Australian CDMO’s unique position in the global pharmaceutical market.
Speaking to PharmaSource at CPHI Milan he explains how despite being only 18 months old, NovaCina boasts a 50-year legacy, including 20 years as part of Pfizer.
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“We’re a full-service CDMO, mainly in the sterile space,” Bullard explains. “We have a lot of work in the blow-fill-seal area of sterile injectables, high potency anti-cancer drugs, and some conventional sterilised vial lines.” NovaCina’s recent investment in automated, isolated technology allows them to expand into pre-clinical and clinical phase services for pre-filled syringes, vials, and cartridges.
Bullard highlights a unique aspect of the Australian market: the popularity of blow-fill-seal for sterile injectables. “I think because of the usability of the product… health professionals find the political seal very useful. It’s clean, it’s neat, and I think the regulatory environment in Australia has allowed it to really be well accepted,” he notes.
Looking ahead, NovaCina aims to leverage its global supply experience to provide end-to-end services. Bullard states, “We really want to leverage and grow off that, looking for customers to supply markets similar, but also moving to really providing an end-to-end service from pre-clinical through clinical trials into commercial.”
Regarding market trends, Bullard sees significant interest in pre-filled syringes and cartridges, as well as inhalation and ophthalmic products in the blow-fill-seal area. He expresses optimism for 2025, noting that supply chain challenges have largely normalised. Bullard also highlights exciting opportunities in Australia’s clinical trial space, mentioning government incentives of up to 48.5%, which he believes offers good value for money in clinical trials.
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