John Lampariello President Pharma North America BRENNTAG SPECIALTIES
What is Brenntag’s current focus?
Brenntag is the world’s largest chemical and ingredients distributor. In our pharma business, our focus is on closing “white spots” — areas where we lack strong supply partners. Our historic strength has been in base chemicals like solvents, acids, and lyes. We are expanding our biopharma portfolio with salts, amino acids, and buffer manufacturing capabilities. We have excelled in blending, mixing, and repackaging in our Essentials business, and we are taking that to the next level in pharma with cGMP standards. How will Brenntag pursue growth in pharma?
M&A always plays a key role in expanding chemical distribution. We look for opportunities to scale, add new supply partners, and grow our value-added service capabilities. Organic growth comes from winning principal mandates in key areas. We identify gaps and show suppliers that Brenntag is the right channel for their business in the life sciences space. Lastly, we always push our existing principals in the market and work to expand market share for both our partners and Brenntag. How does Brenntag help customers navigate supply chain challenges?
With boots on the ground worldwide, we spot supply chain fluctuations early and react quickly. Our close partnerships with key suppliers help us translate on-the-ground insights directly to our customers. While we pursue exclusive mandates in specific chemistries, we also handle more commoditized products without preferred suppliers. This allows us to offer multiple manufacturers, giving customers flexibility and simplifying their supply chains. What are current challenges in the market?
One of the biggest challenges in the pharma market is rising regulatory demands and the need for stronger documentation. Many finished dose products are now global in nature and we are seeing increased requests for products that meet multiple pharmacopeias. In some cases, Brenntag is working with our supply partners to add additional testing and ensure the products meet the necessary regulatory requirements.
Neil Houston and Sibu Varghese NH: Director Pharmaceuticals Americas SV: VP Pharmaceuticals IMCD
How is the role of distributors changing across the industry?
NH: We are increasingly going beyond traditional logistics and supply chain solutions. Our customers now expect us to offer sales and marketing strategies, as well as technical support. How are acquisitions shaping IMCD’s growth strategy?
SV: The first consideration when a pharmaceutical company when bringing a new product to market is the API. If we can be in the process from that API stage, we become the customer’s solution provider. Our recent acquisitions of Cobapharma and Selechimica strengthen our API platform, reinforcing our ability to serve this critical part of the value chain. What other market segments is IMCD focusing on for growth opportunities?
SV: Pharma-Nutra remains our key area. We are expanding more into active nutraceutical ingredients, with a focus on developing technical resources. Additionally, we are exploring Regulated Synthesis.
NH: Regulated synthesis also offers a pathway to more sustainable solutions. We see growing interest in green chemistry, such as the use of methyl THF or Cyclopentyl Methyl Ether (CPME) to reduce water and energy consumption in manufacturing. What are IMCD’s expectations for 2025?
SV: In the industry more widely, around 60 products will be going off-patent. It is unclear how many of those will see generic manufacturing in the US due to the geopolitical situation. With the possibility of tariffs, it is likely that US companies will begin to manufacture more generics.
On the nutraceutical side, we are witnessing a shift away from China-sourced ingredients. US companies are actively seeking alternative suppliers for both active ingredients and excipients.
NH: A key milestone for us in 2025 will be the full operational launch of our new lab, which will be equipped for formulation work with APIs.