4. Industrial and environmental challenges

Pharmaceutical outsourcing has focused on the upstream part of the value chain, i.e. the production of APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), which constitute the active part of the drug and are therefore a key ingredient. The production of APIs is a critical stage in the drug value chain, as they represent the essential ingredient: if they are absent, the drug is not a drug at all. There are over 2,800 active ingredients, most of which are produced in Asia (60% by 2022, including 40% in China ).

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