FROM COMPOUND TO PILL

THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT at a major auto dealer in the Houston area offers “Ladies’ Day” on Thursdays. Along with oil changes and brake work, there are manicures. It’s quite a gamble to become a one-stop repair shop for nails and cars. If the auto seller’s foray into nail care turns out to be second rate, its customers are more likely next time to opt for other dealerships or repair shops in the sprawling metropolis. Today, many custom chemical firms are likewise broadening their service offerings to become the pharmaceutical version of the one-stop shop. They are adding end-to-end capabilities that include drug development, analytical methods, process chemistry, manufacturing, compound characterization, formulation, and clinical trial services. A few firms were founded with this intent, but most started life as custom manufacturers, small contract research firms, or synthesis houses. Because of these disparate origins, these providers have slightly different ideas about what constitutes a one-stop shop. In ...