ARTICLES BY LOUIS

• A Biotech Business Model That's Investor-Friendly

  3/2/2026

  For biotechs meeting with current and potential investors, says Edward Ahn, CEO, Medipost Inc., “it should be about demonstrating your business continuity more than anything else.” Investors know, he says, “any supply chain may be fragile.” Indeed, Ahn’s organization has put in place an intriguing business model to address such concerns. It includes owning part of a CDMO.

• The Supreme Court Rules On Trump Tariffs. Why Shout "Hooray!"?

  2/28/2026

  Chief Editor Louis Garguilo says like many readers, he agrees with the "wise and narrow decision" by the U.S. Supreme Court that President Trump cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs. At the same time, for those who immediately threw up an instant “Hooray!” he suggests checking yourself on why such enthusiasm. His analysis on what is actually best for our global outsourcing industry.

• From Biology Grad To Manufacturing Guru

  2/24/2026

  Stephanie Wimberly graduated from Howard University in 2012 with a degree in biology. What was next? An online search turned up an intriguing area – pharmaceutical manufacturing. “It was manufacturing,” she thought, “but I could still help patients." It was a fortuitous start. This young female professional with a penchant for helping others started a manufacturing career that has wound through GSK, and leadership roles at Shire/Takeda. Now as a manufacturing consultant, here is her advice for manufacturing outsourcing, and careers.

• Not So Fast Into The Night: Your Outsourcing Needs A Pause

  2/16/2026

  Barelling through the second month of the year? Here’s a suggestion from Chief Editor Louis Garguilo to pump the breaks for a bit. Take one more glance in the rearview mirror to assess your current progress, reconfirm your pathway is your intended one. An outsourcing pause might pay off handsomely this year, and that’s because a lot happened last year on the supply-chain front. You made plans and formed expectations based on those trends and experiences. Are you currently abiding by those analyses? 

• The Quiet Case For Trusting CDMO Pricing

  2/9/2026

  “Given our industry, with so much forward risk, my overall philosophy is not to necessarily get stuck on pricing," says a commercially successful outsourcing veteran, although he quickly adds, “I don’t broadcast this externally, or even internally – quote me anonymously!" I did, and he proceeded to provide intriguing insight into working with CDMOs.

• With CDMOs Like This, Who Needs Biotechs?

  2/7/2026

  The question struck like a thunderbolt, writes Chief Editor Louis Garguilo. “Where are CDMOs going with all this?” asked Edward Ahn, CEO, Medipost, Inc., referring to the remarkable growth of some CDMOs. “When CDMOs aim to offer every service, capability, and the requisite capacities for an entire drug life cycle – from discovery to clinic to commercialization – what’s actually left for a biotech sponsor to do?” A forward discussion on an evolving outsourcing dynamic.

• At JP Morgan 2026, Few Showed Up For U.S. Manufacturing

  2/2/2026

  What may turn out to be an instructive anomaly emerged at at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. Across eight roundtable discussions convened by biopharma investment advisors – covering topics such as Avoidable Drug Development Pitfalls and The Emergence of Highly Competitive Chinese and Korean Biotech – the one where nary a soul showed up was titled U.S. Manufacturing. “I don’t quite understand it,” says Ali Pashazadeh, Treehill Partners founder. Here's a close investigation.

• The Metaphoric Rise Of Outsourcing

  1/26/2026

  We use metaphors for visualizing and implementing drug development and manufacturing outsourcing. Some are thought-provoking; others have you scratching your head. All are proffered to illuminate a universal truth about externalization models. The right metaphor – as many CEOs know – can align an organization. Here's a look at some of these linguistic assistants. 

• The Industrialization Of Advanced Modalities

  1/22/2026

  Three reports – on the oligonucleotide CDMO market; mRNA synthesis and manufacturing; and the bioconjugation space - demonstrate where our outsourcing industry is headed, and the important role of CDMOs to get us there. Ostensibly quite different market slices, these reports present us with the industrialization of our most advanced modalities.

• The Top Drug Development Partners Talk A Good Game

  1/19/2026

  A good CDMO – differentiated from a not-as-good CDMO – dialogues productively with customers, and a great starting point is when discussing development plans that should then lead to manufacturing opportunities. What should these conversations entail? Outsourcing pro David Grote speaks to Chief Editor Louis Garguilo on his "discussion philosophy."