Moving with speed and scale: innovative, material-sparing approaches to accelerate clinical development

Published: 16-Mar-2026
Manufacturing Research & Development

As early-stage drug development is often hindered by limited API supply, rising costs and tight timelines, material-sparing technologies are helping companies to progress faster with less

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It's no secret that the earliest phases of drug development are among the most challenging and expensive. Despite advances in drug design and manufacturing, approximately 90% of clinical programmes fail.1

This is mostly because of issues such as limited active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supply, poor bioavailability and strict safety standards.

However, modern developers can use innovative strategies and technologies to reduce delays, save resources, lower costs and meet deadlines. Emily Letton speaks to Lonza Capsugel's Becky Scheper to find out more.

Improving traditional approaches

The imperative to conserve materials during early-stage development has long consumed drug developers. One of the more traditional approaches centres on microdosing, the process of dispensing a precise amount of drug substance (1–200 mg) into a capsule or bottle for use in initial human studies.

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