Deepening global geopolitical instability has led some experts to warn that the pharmaceutical industry could be facing one of its most severe stress tests in a decade. For drug development, this raises critical questions around preparedness, with research suggesting that only 22% of global pharma companies were actively assessing geopolitical risks at the end of 2025.
Increasing levels of disruption, whether from geopolitical instability, adverse weather events, regulatory shifts, or protocol amendments, are exposing deep flaws in how clinical supply is planned and managed. Supply plans that are set to hold for the duration of a clinical trial won’t accommodate the dynamic and uncertain nature of modern drug development. The operating environment has fundamentally shifted and is now defined by constant change that can compromise sponsors’ ability to deliver safe, timely, and cost-effective supply to patients. Clinical supply chains have become exceptionally good at responding to disruption after the fact, but why is it still commonplace to design studies that need recovering in the first place?
Sponsors need to plan for change from the outset. Combining robust early planning with a flexible Just in Time (JIT) model can help them adjust supply as demand becomes clearer, while ensuring the right patients receive the right drugs at the right time and in the right condition.
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