Summer 2026

Karl Equi

Welcome to the Summer issue of IPT, an issue that has been great to jump into as an interim editor of the publication! As the industry events slow down in the hotter months, IPT does no such thing and this issue demonstrates perfectly how pharmaceutical technology continues to innovate.

Tecan has announced the integration of Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into its lab analytics platform Introspect, leveraging NVIDIA BioNeMo Agent Toolkit. The NVIDIA BioNeMo Agent Toolkit enables AI agents to access scientific AI capabilities directly within the Introspect platform, helping laboratories to optimise operations. Agentic AI will allow laboratories to move beyond traditional monitoring and reactive troubleshooting towards proactive actions that

Neuland Laboratories will open a dedicated process development laboratory and integrated kilo lab at its Genome Valley campus in Hyderabad. The new 135,000 sq ft facility will see $20m invested in a specialist fit-out and be operationalised in phases, with full completion expected by October 2026. Significantly, it has been designed as a purpose-built integrated scale-up laboratory dedicated exclusively to process development. Once completed, the site will take Neuland’s proc

IKA launched the next generation of its magnetic stirrer line, introducing the RCT basic and RET basic models built around the company's new ‘Integrated Safety’ concept and 100% tested via its automated RoboMAG production line. The new stirrers set a global standard for lab protection by combining safety features such as an adjustable independent safety circuit, hot plate warnings, self-monitoring, and continuous stirring during error conditions with advanced digital connecti

SL Laser expands the role of laser projection technology in the metal industry with solutions designed to improve positioning accuracy, reduce setup times and eliminate manual production errors. For decades, laser projectors such as the ProDirector 7 have been successfully integrated into industrial manufacturing environments, supporting both large-scale production facilities and metalworking workshops. Today, manufacturers face increasing pressure to improve productivity whi

P&N Europe GmbH provides compact thermoelectric coolers for optical transceiver assemblies, helping stabilise laser performance in high-speed data centre and telecom networks where space, power efficiency and reliability are critical. Optical transceivers require cooling solutions with high thermal performance in very limited space. P&N Europe GmbH supplies compact thermoelectric coolers designed for integration into demanding optical assemblies, including TOSA and other lase

MattenPlant announced the launch of its Pharmaceutical Water for Injection (Cold WFI) initiative, bringing Southeast Asia’s first membrane technology-based Cold WFI system to market. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, engineering consultants and industry stakeholders were invited to learn more at Matten's Booth B2-D20 at the Singapore International Water Week 2026 (SIWW 2026). The launch marked Matten’s strategic expansion into pharmaceutical water systems, building on its establi

Spatial biology is moving from research curiosity to clinical reality – and the results are already changing how we understand and treat disease. The key to unlocking its full potential lies in automated, reproducible, end-to-end workflows that turn tissue complexity into clear, actionable decisions

Could next-generation analytical technologies unlock faster, more informative stress testing for viral vectors?

As regulatory agencies encourage the adoption of new approach methodologies, pharmaceutical developers are increasingly exploring human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models to improve translational predictivity. Successfully integrating these systems into drug development pipelines requires robust validation, a strong quality infrastructure and clear context-of-use frameworks

Can artificial intelligence truly transform drug discovery without equally transforming the biology and data that underpin it?

Analytical measurement in drug development spans multiple attributes, from concentration and binding to quality, impurities and function. Aligning these measurements with workflow needs is critical for enabling timely and confident decision-making

Donated human cells are the starting point for most cell and gene therapies. Before accepting a vial, bag or tissue sample, cell and gene therapy developers should ask three questions: is donor consent fit for purpose; was the right testing performed; and can chain of custody and chain of identity be reconstructed end to end?

How can the industry bridge the gap between cell and gene therapy innovation and reliable large-scale manufacturing?

Animal testing in drug development is facing growing pressure as scientists and regulators adopt more human-relevant alternatives. Despite decades of reliance on animal studies, more than 90% of drugs that pass preclinical testing still fail in human trials. Advances in biotechnology, particularly human muscle models grown from real tissue, offer a promising alternative by more accurately mimicking human physiology

In the fast-paced, competitive world of generics manufacturing, processes such as integrated dissolution-absorption testing can mean the difference between first to market and obscurity

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are rethinking operational resilience as connected systems, automation and infrastructure dependencies play a larger role in production. Continuity now depends on more than equipment performance. It also depends on how well companies coordinate technology, workforce oversight and compliance across increasingly integrated manufacturing environments

A wave of small interfering RNA therapeutics targeting prevalent cardiometabolic diseases is anticipated to drive active pharmaceutical ingredients demand beyond the scale that existing manufacturing models were designed to support. Meeting this demand will require coordinated advances in manufacturing technology and supply chain structure alongside substantial investment in global production capacity

Will the next generation of blockbuster therapies be won by science alone or by the speed of manufacturing execution?

As regulators increasingly focus on individual accountability, can manufacturing leaders afford to treat data governance as a back-office function?

As more and more cell therapies move from experimental treatments to commercial realities, manufacturing remains the primary bottleneck to patient access

Every artificial intelligence-assisted conclusion that makes it outside the walls of an R&D organisation is a scientific claim that eventually has to stand on its own

In high-mix environments, inspection systems must first be flexible – everything else builds on that foundation

As workforce turnover reshapes the industry, how can organisations preserve the knowledge that drives scientific progress?