Small molecules hold sway at DCAT Week

Abstract

The Drug, Chemical, & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) Week, an annual meeting for the pharmaceutical services sector and the drug companies it serves, has dispersed to several New York City locations now that its traditional home, the Waldorf Astoria New York, is under renovation. But the bustle of conference talks and private meetings culminating in a black-tie dinner on March 21 has lost none of its intensity, nor its focus. The same might be said for the sector, which in recent years has seen contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) add nonchemistry services such as biologics and final-dose formulation to their traditional business of synthesizing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Investments announced at DCAT Week make clear that small-molecule drug production is still central. Cambrex epitomizes the expanding CDMO. The US company recently acquired Avista Pharma Solutions, an early-stage drug development firm, and Halo Pharma, a finished-dose drug contractor, for...